^ 


A  SUMMER 


IN 


OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


A   NOVEL. 


BY 

W.    H.    METCALF. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

J.   B.   LIPPINCOTT    COMPANY. 
1887. 


Copyright,  1887,  by  J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

PAGE 

Trouble — Cup  Island — The  Home  of  the  Hunters 
— Children  as  Judges  of  Character — Oldport  and  Vicinity 
— North  Rock  and  Bogus  Island — Extracts  from  Belle's 
Letter— The  Sandy  Cottage— Music  on  the  Waters  .  .  7 

CHAPTER    II. 

Belle  and  her  Friend — The  Doctor's  Letter  to  Boots — Mrs. 
Tillottson — A  short  History  of  Miss  Knowles — Boarding- 
school  Friendship — Roger  Dexter — Morning  at  Cup  Island 
— Jack  as  he  appeared  to  the  Natives  .  .  .  '32 

CHAPTER    III. 

A  Story  without  a  Hero — Two  thoroughly  American  Young 
Men— The  Arrival  of  the  Ladies — The  Van  Twists— The 
Girls  upon  Bogus  Island — Bid's  Adventure — The  Rescue 
— Cup  Island  by  Moonlight  ......  53 

CHAPTER    IV. 

John  Beesford  Stratton — Character  Comparisons — Jack's 
Letter  to  Bob  Evans — Belle  and  Nettie  gather  Sea-Mosses, 
and  are  left  by  the  Tide — Mr.  Craik — Another  Rescue — In 
Tow 76 

CHAPTER   V. 

An  Interview  with  Mr.  Beegum — The  Incubator — A  Letter 
from  Bob  Evans — Fun  in  a  Studio — Bid  proves  her  Superior 
Tact — A  short  Sketch  of  Aunt  Deborah — Puritan  Ancestry .  92 

3 


4  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    VI. 

PAGE 

A  Letter  from  Rome — Adam  Dexter's  Grief — A  Severe 
Shock — Tom  and  Nettie  become  Metaphysical — Jack's 
Idea  of  Florence — Natural  Physiognomists  .  .  .  Iio 

CHAPTER    VII. 

Dinner  on  the  "  Siren" — Communion  of  Soul — Tom  as  an 
Oracle — Dry  Food  for  Craik — The  Minister  and  the  Pro- 
fessor— Visions  of  a  Sea-Serpent — Prefiguration — No  Proof 
of  Continuous  Evolution — Tom  gives  up  a  Luxury — A  Vil- 
lain at  Large — Newspapers 128 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

Mrs.  Tillottson  moves  to  Cup  Island — Bid  as  an  Angler — 
The  Oldport  Church — Mr.  Kendall  as  a  Philanthropist — 
Jack  deeply  Impressed — The  Sermon — The  Serenade  .  1 60 

CHAPTER    IX. 

Mr.  Dexter's  Condition  improves — Augustus  Campion — A 
Successful  Lawyer — Employing  a  Detective — Mr.  Bangs 
sails  for  Europe — Ferris  and  his  Labors — Mr.  Dexter  able 
to  write 179 

CHAPTER    X. 

High  Life  on  Deck — Van  Dusen  an  Epicure — His  Friends 
— A  Visit  to  Smoke  Island — Craik  Overdoes  It — Alice  Van 
Twist  as  an  Artist — Rescued  from  Drowning — The  Pater- 
nal Parkins'  Pants — A  Word  for  Physiognomy — Nettie  sails 
"The  Queen" 195 

CHAPTER    XL 

Nettie's  Letter  to  her  Uncle— A  few  Lines  from  Jonathan 
Ferris — Is  Mr.  Craik  Jim  Bolan? — Comparing  Pictures — 
Uncle  Camp  decides  to  go  to  Oldport — A  Letter  from  Mr. 
Bangs — Nettie  an  Heiress 220 


CONTENTS.  5 

CHAPTER    XII. 

PAGE 

Mrs.  Tillottson  remembers  an  Old  Friend — Mr.  Campion 
provided  for — The  Van  Twists  visit  Cup  Island — Plans 
for  an  Open-air  Tea-party — Jack  to  deliver  an  Address  .  236 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

The  Sail  to  Millville  Light — Blue-fishing — Captain  and 
Mrs.  Parkins  entertain — Jack  talks  with  a  Parrot — Jack 
opens  his  Heart — Belle's  Tongue  is  loosened — Mr.  Cam- 
pion arrives — He  makes  a  Confidante  of  Mrs.  Tillottson  .  244 

CHAPTER    XIV. 

Craik  Outwitted — Tom  and  Nettie  become  Cupid's  Un- 
conscious Victims — A  Touching  Scene  in  the  Summer- 
house — The  Tea-party — Jack's  Address,  and  Aunt  Deb's 
Suggestions — A  Silent  Declaration 259 

CHAPTER    XV. 

Night  on  Oldport  Harbor — A  Desperate  Struggle  and  a 
Capture — Mr.  Campion  utilizes  his  Muscle — Mr.  Van 
Dusen  Indignant — An  Explanation — Ferris  Happy — Cup 
Island  becomes  deserted  .  .  .  .  .  .  .271 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

Ten  Years  elapse — Rome — Nettie  at  her  Villa — Aunt  Deb- 
orah writes  from  America — She  contemplates  Marriage — 
Bid's  last  Venture — Alice  Van  Twist  a  Widow — Matri- 
mony in  the  Air  ........  277 


I* 


A 

SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR, 


CHAPTER    I. 

Jack  in  Trouble — Cup  Island — The  Home  of  the  Hunters — Chil- 
dren as  Judges  of  Character — Oldport  and  Vicinity — North 
Rock  and  Bogus  Island — Extracts  from  Belle's  Letter — The 
Sandy  Cottage — Music  on  the  Waters. 

IT  was  Jack  that  was  screaming  at  the  top  of 
his  voice ;  but  the  doctor,  although  he  heard  him 
well  enough,  did  not  heed  his  cries,  for  it  was  a 
very  common  thing  to  hear  Jack  scream ;  in  fact, 
since  they  were  encamped  upon  the  island,  Jack 
was  screaming  or  singing  most  of  the  time. 

"  Doc !    Oh,  Doc !"  came  again  from  above. 

"  Hello !"  shouted  the  doctor,  finally,  in  reply. 

"  Come  up  here,  and  help  me  with  this  boot, 
will  you  ?"  yelled  Jack,  in  the  clear,  vigorous  tones 
of  a  minaret  crier  of  the  far  East. 

The  doctor  hesitated  a  moment,  for  he  was  just 
in  the  act  of  rinsing  out  the  coffee-pot  when  the 
idea  occurred  to  him  that  perhaps  his  friend  was 

7 


g  A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

really  in  trouble;  so,  dropping  the  coffee-pot,  he 
bounded  hastily  up  the  narrow  stairway,  five  steps 
at  a  time. 

The  little  house  contained  but  two  rooms,  one 
below,  upon  the  ground-floor,  and  one  above, 
which  they  were  using  for  a  sleeping  apartment. 
The  stairway  was  at  the  rear,  and  outside  of  the 
house  proper,  but  was  boxed  in  with  boards  so 
that  one  could  pass  from  one  room  to  the  other 
under  cover. 

When  Tom,  or  the  doctor,  arrived  in  the  upper 
chamber,  he  found  Jack  flat  upon  his  back,  his 
face  redder  than  a  Berkshire  sunset,  his  chest 
heaving  with  over-exertion,  puffing  and  squirming 
as  though  in  mortal  agony,  and  with  great  beads 
of  perspiration  rolling  down  his  brow. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  old  boy  ?"  said  Tom. 

Jack  ceased  wriggling  for  a  moment,  while  with 
a  look  pathetic  enough  to  have  melted  the  heart 
of  an  angry  mother-in-law,  he  said,  in  a  subdued 
tone, — 

"  Doc,  for  heaven's  sake  release  my  foot  from 
that  chair ;  it  is  caught,  and  I  have  been  struggling 
to  get  it  out  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes." 

Telling  him  to  lie  still,  and  drawing  closer,  Tom 
took  in  the  whole  situation  at  a  glance.  Jack, 
having  been  unable  to  pull  off  his  wet  boots,  and 
not  possessing  a  boot-jack,  had  improvised  one 
out  of  an  old  hair-cloth  rocking-chair,  which  was 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.  g 

a  part  of  their  common  stock  of  furniture.  By 
lying  upon  his  back  on  the  floor,  and  placing  his 
foot  between  the  rocker  and  the  bottom  of  the 
seat,  toe  up,  he  had  succeeded  in  drawing  off  one 
of  the  refractory  boots ;  but  when  he  endeavored 
to  do  likewise  with  the  other,  the  integrity  of  the 
chair-bottom  gave  way,  wedging  his  toe  in  be- 
tween the  coils  of  a  stiff  spiral  spring,  and  jam- 
ming his  heel  still  tighter  upon  the  rocker.  In 
this  predicament  Tom  found  him.  By  drawing  up 
the  spring  a  little,  and  carefully  turning  the  cap- 
tive foot,  it  was  at  length  released,  Tom  meantime 
reading  the  prostrate  giant  a  lecture  upon  the  im- 
propriety of  placing  one's  feet  unwarily  in  strange 
places. 

Jack  was  a  good-natured  soul.  He  had  been 
reared  in  the  same  town  with  Tom.  As  boys  to- 
gether they  had  cemented  a  friendship  which  had 
grown  with  the  passing  years.  They  had  fostered  a 
mutual  regard  which  had  its  beginnings  in  youthful 
indiscretions.  The  same  bond  of  sympathy  which 
as  orchard  depredators  had  tied  their  friendships 
had,  by  that  curious  dispensation  which  so  often 
transforms  the  bad  boy  into  the  noble  man,  de- 
veloped into  an  affectionate  regard  and  admiration 
for  true  manly  qualities.  Jack,  as  he  approached 
maturity,  went  abroad  to  study  art  in  Florence, 
and  about  the  same  time  Tom  attended  an  Ameri- 
can college  nearer  home.  It  so  happened  that 


I0         A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

they  did  not  again  meet  for  years,  and  when  they 
did,  it  was  in  New  York  city,  at  the  table  of  a 
mutual  friend.  Jack  had  settled  in  the  city  as  ah 
artist,  and  Tom  as  an  aspiring  young  physician 
with  a  growing  practice.  Their  first  meeting  or 
reunion  was  the  signal  for  the  renewal  of  their 
old  friendship,  and  they  were  afterward  much  to- 
gether; in  fact,  they  hired  common  apartments, 
and  became  as  comfortable  and  happy  as  two 
moderately  successful  young  bachelors  could  be. 
A  little  over  two  years  they  had  led  this  life, 
working  diligently  at  their  respective  professions 
and  allowing  themselves  a  very  limited  supply  of 
recreation.  One  day,  toward  the  middle  of  July, 
Jack  proposed  that  they  should  take  a  vacation, 
throw  away  all  care,  and  unrestrainedly  woo  the 
muses.  This  proposition  suited  Tom  exactly,  the 
more  so  since  there  was  just  at  that  time  a  young 
fellow-classmate,  who  had  been  assisting  him  in 
hospital  duties,  who  could  take  charge  of  his  prac- 
tice during  his  absence. 

Tom  and  Jack  both  needed  recreation,  for  they 
began  to  feel  the  strain  of  continued  application. 
It  was  therefore  with  light  hearts  that  they  laid 
out  their  plans  for  an  eight-weeks'  vacation. 
Tom's  family  owned  a  small  island,  containing 
perhaps  twenty-five  acres,  and  situated  near  the 
Connecticut  shore  in  Long  Island  Sound.  His 
father,  before  he  died,  had  been  in  the  habit  of 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          l  j 

visiting  this  island  in  the  fall  of  each  year  with  a 
party  of- friends,  to  fish  and  shoot  ducks.  There 
he  had  built  or  "  thrown  together"  a  small  frame 
shanty  or  cottage  of  two  rooms,  which,  roughly 
furnished,  served  for  shelter  and  made  the  sports- 
men tolerably  comfortable.  Here  it  was,  upon 
Cup  Island,  that  Tom  and  his  friend  Jack  decided 
to  enjoy  their  eight  weeks  of  leisure. 

Cup  Island  was  once  probably  a  bare  rock ;  but 
time,  aided  by  the  perpetually  restless  winds  and 
tides,  had  covered  its  surface  with  several  feet  of 
alluvial  soil,  out  of  which  trees  and  bushes  had 
sprung  up,  making  it  withal  a  place  picturesque 
and  attractive. 

At  flood-tide  Cup  Island  seemed  to  consist  of 
three  distinct  islands ;  but  when  the  tide  was  low, 
it  was  possible  to  walk  from  one  end  to  the  other 
without  seriously  wetting  the  soles  of  the  feet.  It 
lay  about  a  third  of  a  mile  from  the  Connecticut 
shore ;  and  lying  near  it,  at  perhaps  a  distance  of 
three  hundred  yards,  was  another  and  smaller 
island,  owned  by  a  wealthy  Connecticut  gentle- 
man, who  resided  in  one  of  the  interior  towns  of 
the  State.  Smoke  Island,  as  it  was  called  by  the 
natives  thereabouts,  was  much  smaller  than  the 
one  upon  which  Tom  and  Jack  were  to  sojourn, — 
perhaps  one-half  the  size.  Major  Van  Twist,  the 
owner,  with  his  wife  and  only  daughter,  Alice, 
occasionally  spent  a  summer  there,  where  he  had 


12         A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

erected  a  very  comfortable  and  commodious  cot- 
tage, with  every  convenience  which  could  be  ar- 
ranged in  such  a  place. 

Every  nook  and  corner  of  these  islands  became 
familiar  to  Tom  in  his  boyhood,  when  he  had  ac- 
companied his  father  on  his  duck-shooting  ex- 
cursions. At  these  times  he  had  been  instructed 
in  the  management  of  a  boat,  the  use  of  a  gun 
and  fishing-tackle,  and  the  by  no  means  non- 
essential,  though  rudimentary,  knowledge  of  the 
culinary  art. 

There  were  times  during  the  early  morning 
hours  when  it  was  too  cold  for  him  to  lie  in  wait 
for  ducks  with  the  others.  On  these  occasions  he 
would  assist  the  mulatto  cook,  from  whom  he 
learned  many  secrets  in  cookery,  and  on  the  re- 
turn of  the  hungry  hunters  his  skill  was  often 
praised,  and  he  was  pronounced  a  gastronomical 
prodigy. 

How  jolly  they  seemed  of  an  evening,  as  they 
gathered  around  the  steaming  punch-bowl  to  re- 
late the  experiences  of  the  day  just  past.  Some 
smoking  their  long-stemmed  pipes,  the  vigorous 
wood  fire  sending  forth  its  myriads  of  quick,  bright 
sparks,  while  the  long-tongued  flames  lapped  the 
chimney  back  so  smoothly,  till  with  a  roar  they 
would  instantly  vanish  up  the  dark  flue  above. 
The  recollection  of  those  happy  times,  of  those 
ruddy,  good-natured  faces,  made  more  rosy  by  the 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          x^ 

red  glow  of  the  brisk,  warm  fire ;  of  the  exciting 
stories  which  often  brought  such  hearty  laughter 
or  applause ;  of  those  happy  in-door  nights  upon 
Cup  Island,  brought  back  to  Tom  the  same  sense 
of  confiding  dependence,  the  same  feeling  of  per- 
fect security  and  trustfulness  which  had  so  mas- 
tered his  heart  as  a  boy.  Well  did  he  remember 
how^fiercely  the  elements  would  rage  outside  of 
that  little  cottage  on  those  autumn  nights.  Some- 
times the  little  house  actually  rocked  under  the 
strain,  and  then,  who  could  laugh  louder  or  longer 
than  these  half-dozen  strong  men,  who  were 
lounging  in  restful  attitudes  about  the  ample  fire- 
place? 

"  The  housemates  sit 
Around  the  radiant  fireplace  enclosed 
In  a  tumultuous  privacy  of  storm." 

Then  there  were  nights  when  Tom,  lying  in  the 
little  upper  chamber  of  the  cottage  and  listening 
to  the  distant  roar  of  the  elements  and  the  nearer 
sonorous  breathing  of  his  father's  friends,  would 
speculate  upon  his  own  chances  of  ever  reaching 
such  a  glorious  manhood  as  theirs.  How  well  he 
loved  them  all,  this  whole-hearted  boy. 

Could  the  mature  half  of  humanity  possess  both 
the  capacity  to  feel  and  the  ability  to  understand 
the  youthful  heart,  how  easy  of  solution  would  be 
the  problem  of  child-management.  How  different, 
and  how  much  more  effective,  would  be  the  method 


I4          A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

of  rearing,  instructing,  and  guiding  children.  There 
is,-  no  doubt,  some  truth  in  the  statement  that 
children  are  under  the  continual  guidance  and 
constant  care  of  heavenly  angels.  Certainly  their 
bright  looks,  happy  moods,  their  beauty,  and  their 
innocent  and  uncontrollable  way  of  wearing  love 
on  the  surface,  all  of  these  winning  traits  seem  to 
bear  out  the  thought.  Perhaps  they  are  under  the 
direct  guardianship  of  God's  companions,  else  why 
should  they  in  their  tender  years  evince  such  won- 
derful capacity  in  the  judgment  and  discrimination 
of  character  ? — a  trait  they  often  sadly  lose  later 
in  life.  Are  not  their  evil  moods  but  harbingers 
of  advancing  maturity,  when  the  physical  sup- 
plants the  spiritual,  or  the  human  crowds  back  the 
angelic  ?  Could  we  but  think  so,  perhaps  second 
childhood,  as  we  often  see  it  in  extreme  old  age, 
would  lose  much  of  its  unsightliness. 

It  is  easy  to  guarantee  the  moral  worth  of  a 
stranger  when  we  notice  that  he  is  generally  loved 
by  little  children.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  little 
ones  fear  or  seem  to  instinctively  avoid  a  person, 
how  easy  and  natural  it  is  to  suspect  that  "  there 
is  a  screw  loose  somewhere."  If  a  person  is 
genuine  in  his  fondness  for  children,  putting  him- 
self out,  perhaps,  to  please  them,  not  in  a  studied 
way,  but  spontaneously,  naturally,  how  pleasing  it 
is  to  us  as  fathers,  mothers,  sisters,  brothers,  or 
relatives  to  single  him  out  from  among  men  as 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.          jrj 

one  to  be  trusted  and  safely  loved.  On  the  other 
hand,  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  history  a  man 
who  has  won  the  hearts  of  the  people  and  disliked 
little  children.  A  child  is  the  symbol  of  innocence ; 
therefore,  to  love  a  child  is  to  love  innocence. 

Some  such  thoughts  as  these  coursed  through 
the  doctor's  mind  as  he  selected  Cup  Island  for 
theix,.summer  resort.  Their  preparations  for  de- 
parture began  immediately.  A  few  days  to  ar- 
range the  affairs  of  office  and  studio  previous  to 
so  prolonged  an  absence,  a  day  or  two  to  collect 
traps  and  luggage  essential  to  such  a  pleasure  trip, 
and  they  were  ready  to  depart. 

It  was  on  the  early  morning  train  from  New 
York,  on  the  "  Shore  Line  Railroad,"  that  they 
started  for  Oldport,  on  the  ipth  of  July,  and  a  few 
hours  brought  them  safely  to  their  destination. 
Oldport,  which  was  the  nearest  village  to  Cup 
Island,  certainly  did  not  belie  its  name,  either  in 
the  appearance  of  its  ancient-looking  streets  and 
houses  or  the  peculiar  characteristics  of  its  inhab- 
itants. The  railroad  did  not  profane  the  immedi- 
ate precincts  of  the  place,  the  station  being  at 
least  two  miles  from  the  centre  of  the  village.  In- 
deed, one  would  hardly  know  where  the  centre  of 
the  place  was  were  it  not  generally  understood 
that  the  grocery  and  post-office  served  as  a  sort 
of  landmark  for  that  important  locality.  The 
doctor  and  his  friend  Jack  took  more  than  an  or- 


jg    A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR, 

dinary  interest  in  the  surroundings;  and  this  was 
natural,  since  they  had  come  to  live  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  summer  so  near  to  the  quaint  old 
town. 

Sending  their  luggage  ahead,  therefore,  in  the 
grocery  wagon,  which,  by  the  way,  also  carried 
the  mail  and  was  a  thing  to  be  relied  upon  at 
every  train,  they  strolled  along  the  country  road 
until  they  reached  the  village  proper,  taking  care- 
ful and  accurate  mental  notes  of  all  they  saw  and 
heard. 

Jack,  as  became  an  artist,  was  in  ecstasies  over 
the  many  picturesque  views  which  caught  his  eye, 
pausing  often  to  admire  and  comment  upon  a  rus- 
tic bridge  or  gateway,  or  a  few  sleek  and  robust 
cattle  browsing  upon  a  sunlit  stretch  of  bright 
green  meadow  or  reclining  lazily  upon  the  side  of 
a  grass-covered  hillock.  Now  a  high-gabled  farm- 
house of  antique  proportions,  nestling  under  the 
protecting  shade  of  a  brace  of  buttonwood-trees, 
with  its  usual  accompaniments  of  red  barn  and 
old-fashioned  well,  would  bring  him  to  a  pause 
spellbound  with  admiration.  Occasionally  the 
familiar  farm  dog,  an  animal  of  large  proportions 
and  shaggy  coat,  would  rouse  itself  from  slumber 
and  walk  lazily  toward  them  with  a  look  in  its  eye 
of  mistrust  until  it  comprehended  their  friendly 
greetings. 

Tom  was  particularly  amused  by  the  people. 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.    ij 

They  passed  a  couple  of  farm  lads  with  their  red, 
freckled  faces  almost  hidden  under  the  broadest  of 
straw  hats,  whose  rims  rose  and  fell,  as  the  lads 
walked,  ludicrously  like  the  ears  of  the  mule  which 
they  were  leading.  Soon  after  this  they  passed  a 
farm-house  and  noticed  in  the  door-yard  a  buxom, 
large-limbed  maiden  suspending  the  week's  wash- 
ing upon  a  line  which  she  had  stretched  from  one 
apple-tree  to  another.  As  she  worked  she  sang  to 
herself  a  well-worn  distich  from  "  Pinafore"  about 
"  A  merry,  merry  maiden  and  a  tar,"  when  sud- 
denly, becoming  aware  of  the  proximity  of  our 
young  friends,  she  ceased  her  melody  and  made  a 
conspicuous  effort  to  creep  in  out  of  herself,  the 
gracefulness  of  which  must  be  seen  in  country 
maidens  to  be  thoroughly  appreciated. 

Thus  collecting  food  for  future  discourse  and  en- 
tertainment, they  finally  came  to  the  village  post- 
office.  It  was  the  typical  country  post-office,  use- 
less to  describe  because  so  familiar.  A  grocery  in 
the  rear,  where  from  the  same  shelf  calico  came 
to  the  light  of  day  with  dried  herrings  ;  where  but- 
ter, cheese,  beer,  nails,  candy,  hosiery,  cigars,  and 
cat,  all  reposed  upon  a  common  counter.  A  heter- 
ogeneous display  of  the  necessities  of  life,  all  within 
ready  reach  of  the  slow-moving  proprietor,  upon 
whose  shrewd  Yankee  visage  one  could  see  stamped 
a  corresponding  type  of  incongruity.  There  seemed 
nothing  wanting  to  supply  the  needs  of  micro- 
b  2* 


!3          A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

cosmic  man  in  this  haven  of  rusticity  save  per- 
chance a  postmaster.  But,  behold!  the  same 
wizard,  Samuel  Sandy  by  name,  who,  after  dealing 
out  sugar  and  oil  in  quantities  to  suit  your  con- 
venience, will  take  nine  slowly-measured  steps  to 
the  front  of  this  establishment,  where  he  will  dis- 
appear into  a  little  cubby-hole  of  a  place  on  the 
right  and  transform  himself  into  a  model  country 
postmaster,  possessing  the  requisite  modicum  of 
"  inquisitive  curiosity." 

Time  was  at  a  discount  in  Oldport.  Fifteen 
minutes  to  buy  a  two-cent  stamp  was  in  rennn 
natura  a  reasonable  wait.  Three-quarters  of  an 
hour  to  sort  a  mail  of  seven  postal  cards  and  a 
half-dozen  letters  was  to  the  patient  native  a  nolens 
volens.  Had  he  not  the  blessed  privilege  of  con- 
soling himself  with  the  charitable  thought  that 
the  worthy  postmaster  was  not  overtaxing  himself 
but  was  industriously  cramming  his  ample  brains 
with  postal-card  lore?  Why  should  he  shorten 
his  precious  life  by  unnecessary  and  uncalled-for 
speed  ?  It  has  been  rumored  that  the  people  of 
Oldport  never  formally  die,  that  their  demise  is 
a  process  so  gradual  and  continuous,  or,  as  the 
French  would  say,  a  propos  de  rien,  as  to  be  hardly 
perceptible, — a  method  of  slow  withering  until  a 
period  of  desiccation  is  reached,  in  connection 
with  which  it  taxes  mortal  scrutiny  to  discover 
one  in  the  act  of  departure.  Certain  it  is,  our 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          jg 

young  friends  did  not  see  a  soul  there  who  had 
anything  like  a  lucid  recollection  of  a  funeral. 

The  store  was  not  far  from  the  beach  where  they 
were  to  embark,  so,  after  the  necessary  negotiations 
for  the  use  of  boats  during  their  stay  at  Cup  Island, 
in  which  the  de  facto  heterogenarian  took  an  active 
interest  (for  besides  his  multifarious  mercantile  pro- 
clivities, Sam  Sandy  owned  and  let  out  boats),  they 
jumped  into  the  store-wagon,  and  were  driven  to 
the  shore.  From  the  pier  upon  the  beach  both 
islands  were  in  sight,  Smoke  Island  being  partially 
hidden  behind  her  sister.  The  day  was  beautiful, 
the  water  placid,  with  enough  breeze  to  freshen 
the  air,  which,  with  the  bright  sunlight  reflecting 
the  white  sails  of  a  score  of  craft  in  the  distance, 
added  picturesqueness  to  the  scene  and  vigor  to 
our  city  friends  who  witnessed  it. 

Mr.  Sandy  had  locked  up  the  store  and  post- 
office,  "just  for  safety,  ye  know,"  as  he  remarked, 
and  had  accompanied  them  to  the  beach,  where, 
from  an  assortment  of  two,  one  of  which  leaked 
outrageously,  they  selected  a  row-boat.  He  prom- 
ised to  bring  them  a  sailboat  on  the  following  day 
at  noon,  a  "  reel  clipper,"  as  he  designated  her. 
He  said,  "  I've  hauled  her  up  fur  a  few  days  ter 
give  'er  a  coat  of  paint." 

A  short  row  of  perhaps  ten  minutes  brought 
them  with  their  belongings  to  Cup  Island,  where 
they  were  soon  snugly  installed  in  their  new  home. 


2Q         A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

It  was  now  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon ; 
so  after  unpacking  some  of  their  things,  they  sal- 
lied forth  upon  the  island  to  explore  a  little  before 
dinner.  Tom  noticed  few  changes  of  great  im- 
portance. Here  and  there  some  one  had  built  a 
bench  or  rustic  chair,  and  quite  a  substantial 
landing-place  or  pier  had  been  put  up  for  the 
landing  of  people  from  boats. 

The  tide  was  high,  but  they  found  a  rough 
bridge  of  timber  thrown  across  the  water,  con- 
necting North  Rock,  as  it  was  called,  with  the 
centre  or  main  part  of  the  island.  This  little 
north  island  consisted  of  a  huge  boulder-like  rock, 
sloping  upward  perhaps  thirty  feet  from  the  water 
in  a  gradual  ascent.  On  the  sea  side  this  rise  was 
more  abrupt,  but  there  were  shelving  ridges,  along 
which  one  could  safely  walk,  and  which  afforded 
inviting  seats  where  it  was  possible  to  fish  or 
meditatively  watch  the  sea. 

When  the  tide  was  low  this  rock  was  a  part  of 
the  main  island,  and  one  could  easily  walk  there 
over  the  moist  rocks ;  but  now  the  water  was  rush- 
ing swiftly  under  the  little  bridge  and  against  the 
sides  of  the  rocks,  as  if  anxious  not  to  be  left 
behind  in  the  tide  of  ocean  affairs. 

At  the  south  end  of  Cup  Island  they  found  a 
little  cove,  with  a  shelving  beach.  At  flood-tide 
this  little  cove  or  bay  extended  quite  across  the 
island,  separating  the  south  end  also  into  a  dis- 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          2I 

tinct  island,  which  they  named  Bogus  Island.  It 
was  much  larger  and  more  inviting  than  North 
Rock,  having  upon  it  a  number  of  small  trees 
which  struggled  for  existence,  and  a  neat  little 
summer-house.  From  this  summer-house  was  a 
delightful  view  of  the  sound,  a  distant  view  of  the 
Connecticut  coast,  and  a  more  extended  one  of 
Long  Island.  They  shoved  themselves  across  the 
narrow  channel  to  Bogus  Island  in  the  boat,  sat 
for  a  few  moments  in  the  summer-house,  and  then 
returning  to  the  cottage,  began  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  dinner. 

Having  eaten  little  since  their  early  meal  in  the 
city,  they  both  possessed  good  appetites,  which 
condition  served  as  a  stimulus  to  activity  in  the 
production  of  their  repast,  more  than  to  elaborate 
care  in  the  details  of  its  preparation. 

Jack,  true  to  his  Bohemian  instincts,  made  the 
coffee  with  artistic  precision,  while  Tom  spread 
indiscriminately  upon  the  table  a  hearty  supply  of 
the  substantiate  and  delicacies  with  which  their 
box  of  provisions  was  stored.  From  these  things, 
so  roughly  served,  they  proceeded  to  extract  that 
inexpressible  satisfaction  known  only  to  those 
who  have  been  placed  in  similar  happy  circum- 
stances. 

"  Well,"  said  Jack,  as  he  was  finishing,  and  with 
a  sigh  of  contentment  producing  an  ample  meer- 
schaum pipe,  in  which  he  proceeded  to  pack  the 


22    A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

bright  golden  flakes  of  Virginia  smoking  tobacco, 
"  is  not  this  about  the  perfection  of  comfort  and 
independence  ?" 

"Jack,"  replied  Tom,  following  his  friend's  ex- 
ample and  producing  a  cigar,  "  as  I  advance  into 
the  fulness  of  manhood,  into  the  roundness  of 
maturity,  I  realize  more  and  more  fully  the  joys 
of  living  and  companionship." 

"  And  eating,"  Jack  replied ;  "  for  where  would 
be  fulness  and  the  roundness  without  ?  Yea,  even 
the  manhood  or  maturity  ?" 

"  I  think  you  are  right,"  Tom  replied,  laughing ; 
and  then  lapsing  unconsciously  into  a  philosophical 
mood  born  of  repletion,  "  Yet,  how  strange  seems 
the  fact  that  on  this  mundane  sphere  there  exist 
beings  who  hold  eating  and  drinking  to  be  vulgar, 
when  the  very  vis  vita  of  existence  is  helplessly 
dependent  upon  this  function." 

"  Yes,"  said  Jack,  lazily,  behind  a  cloud  of 
smoke,  but  with  a  facetious  twinkle  in  his  hand- 
some blue  eyes,  "  Arnold  says,  you  know,  in  his 
'  Light  of  Asia,'  '  How  lizard  fed  on  ant,  and 
snake  on  him,  and  kite  on  both ;  and  how  the 
fish-hawk  robbed  the  fish-tiger  of  that  which  it 
had  seized ;  the  shrike  chasing  the  bulbul,  which 
did  chase  the  jewelled  butterflies ;  till  everywhere 
each  slew  a  slayer,  and  in  turn  was  slain,  life  living 
upon  death.'  Nature  is  indeed  but  a  huge  mother- 
gourmand,  a  sort  of  cannabalistic  gormandizer, 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.          2$ 

whose  myriad  children  industriously  devour  each 
other  as  from  a  sense  of  duty.  Scientists  have 
dubbed  this  voracious  faculty  '  the  conservation  of 
forces  and  matter,'  and  some  materialists,  with 
whom  I  am  not  at  all  inclined  to  differ,  base  their 
plausible  theory  of  '  the  survival  of  the  fittest' 
upon  this  very  law." 

Jack's  materialism  had  for  some  time  been  a 
source  of  anxiety  to  the  doctor;  and  had  he  fol- 
lowed his  first  impulse  he  would  have  given  him 
a  sharp  reply  to  this  last  sally ;  but  his  better  in- 
stincts prevailed,  and  decided  him  to  await  a  more 
favorable  opportunity,  so  he  simply  said  good- 
humoredly,  "  By  the  way,  Jack,  who  is  to  wash 
these  dishes  ?  They  certainly  have  a  very  material 
look  about  them." 

"As  a  dish-washer  I  have  been  a  success," 
replied  Jack. 

"  Then  I  will  be  your  successor,"  said  Tom ; 
"  and  these  horny  hands  of  labor  shall  make  the 
dishes  shine  like  the  bald  pates  of  your  paternal 
ancestry." 

"  And  while  you  do  it,"  Jack  said,  with  a  hearty 
laugh,  "  I,  whom  the  Fates  have  decreed  should  be 
a  maid-of-all-work,  since  all  work  seems  made  for 
me,  will  hie  me  to  the  guest-chamber  above,  and 
prepare  our  downy  couch  for  its  restless  occu- 
pants." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  doctor.  "  By  the  way,  you 


24    A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

will  find  mattresses  in  the  old  chest  in  the  corner, 
and  also  blankets  enough  to  make  Morpheus  grin 
with  lazy  joy.  Here  is  the  key." 

The  following  few  hours  were  devoted  to  fixing 
up  their  quarters,  and  they  soon  considered  them- 
selves comfortably  settled,  barring,  of  course,  the 
little  inconveniences  which  one  naturally  expects 
and  even  welcomes  on  such  occasions. 

At  about  three  in  the  afternoon  they  took  the 
boat  and  rowed  over  to  Oldport  to  see  if  there 
might  be  some  mail  for  them  at  the  post-office. 

Tom  found  a  few  lines  from  his  assistant,  asking 
advice  upon  some  matters  concerning  his  practice, 

and  a  letter  postmarked  "  W ,  Mass.,"  directed 

in  his  sister  Belle's  handwriting  to  Dr.  Thomas 
Tillottson,  Oldport,  Connecticut.  This  he  opened 
speedily,  fearing  that  his  mother,  who  had  been 
quite  ill  of  late,  might  be  worse. 

Judge  of  his  surprise  when  he  reached  a  part 
of  the  letter  which  read  as  follows : 

"  And  now,  dear  Tom,  rejoice  in  what  I  have  to 
tell  you  next.  Dr.  Perry  says  that  mamma  must 
have  sea  air,  that  an  immediate  change  is  impera- 
tive, and  that  she  should  stay  by  the  salt  water 
until  the  hottest  of  the  weather  is  past.  Now,  dear 
old  Tom,  what  shall  we  do,  and  where  can  we  go, 
unless  to  Oldport,  where  we  can  be  with  you  ? 
The  worst  of  it  is,  Nettie  Knowles  (my  old  room- 
mate at  school,  you  remember)  has  just  arrived  here 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.          2$ 

to  make  me  a  long  visit.  I  have  told  her  the  circum- 
stances, and  she  is  willing  and  even  anxious  to  go 
to  Oldport  with  us.  Mamma  says,  if  we  hear  favor- 
ably from  you,  that  we  can  all  go  together,  and  she 
will  take  Bid  along  to  cook  for  us.  Now,  Tom, 
dear,  be  real  good,  and  say  that  Nettie  and  I  can 
come  to  the  cottage  and  camp  out  with  you  and 
Mr,  Stratton.  Oh,  it  would  be  delightful.  Mamma 
and  Aunt  Deborah  can  board  in  Oldport,  and  we 
can  see  them  every  day.  Oh,  Tom,  if  you  only 
will  say  yes,  I  will  bless  you  all  the  mortal  days 
of  my  existence  and  hug  you  to  death.  Just  think 
of  it.  Nettie  and  I  can  do  lots  and  lots  of  things 
for  you  and  your  friend,  and  we  will  catch  fish  for 
dinner :  and  now,  Tom,  dear,  you  will  not  say  no, 
will  you,  but  hunt  up  a  nice  boarding-place  near 
the  water  for  mamma  and  send  for  us  right  away. 
Bid  can  sleep  most  anywhere.  Nettie  says  she 
remembers  you  perfectly,  although  she  only  saw 
you  two  or  three  minutes,  and  I  know  you  will 
like  her,  for  she  is  just  the  dearest  angel  living. 
Answer  at  once,  and  say  come. 

"  Your  loving,  yearning  sister, 

"  BOOTS." 

Boots   was   rather  a   strange  pet   name   for  a 
brother  to  give  his  young  lady  sister  ;  but,  though 
not  particularly  elegant,  it  was  not  altogether  in- 
appropriate, as  its  origin  will  show. 
B  3 


26          A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

Many  years  before,  when  Belle  was  a  little 
curly-haired  child  of  three  or  four  summers,  she  had 
wandered  down-stairs  in  a  spirit  of  mischievous- 
ness,  long  after  the  family  had  supposed  her  sound 
asleep,  arrayed  in  her  night-dress  and  a  pair  of 
Tom's  boots.  Her  appearance  thus  unexpectedly 
at  all  hours  of  the  evening  was  not  a  very  un- 
common occurrence ;  and,  although  she  knew  it 
was  contrary  to  the  domestic  laws  of  the  estab- 
lishment, she  always  escaped  punishment  by  some 
comical  act  connected  with  her  visit  below-stairs. 
As  she  hobbled  on  this  occasion  into  the  bril- 
liantly-lighted parlor  where  the  family  and  a  few 
invited  guests  were  assembled,  she  succeeded  in 
creating  a  sensation.  She  was  soon  smothered  in 
the  loving  arms  of  one  of  the  lady  guests,  from 
which  position  she  was  rescued  by  Tom,  who 
called  her  his  little  Boots  as  he  carried  her  back 
to  bed.  From  that  time  the  name  clung  to  her, 
at  least  whenever  Tom  addressed  her,  and  thus  it 
was  that  the  beautiful  Belle  Tillottson  was  called  by 
her  brother,  Boots. 

Tom  was  very  much  surprised  at  the  letter.  His 
first  inclination  was  to  send  them  word  that  it 
would  be  impossible  in  such  a  small  place  to  ac- 
commodate so  many,  but  reflection  caused  him  to 
change  his  mind.  He  was  alarmed  about  the  re- 
ported illness  of  his  mother  and  desirous  to  have 
her  near  him,  where,  if  necessary,  he  could  ad- 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          2/ 

minister  his  professional  skill.  So,  after  showing 
or  reading  the  letter  to  Jack,  they  both  agreed 
that  it  would  be  only  fair  to  see  if  a  suitable  board- 
ing-place could  be  obtained  for  Mrs.  Tillottson. 
They  therefore  interviewed  Mr.  Sandy  at  once, 
asking  him  if  he  knew  of  a  desirable  place. 

"  Waal,"  said  he  to  the  doctor,  slowly  rubbing 
his  red  chin  with  the  back  of  his  redder  hand, 
"  if  yer  mammy  ain't  over  pertickler,  an'  could  git 
'long  'th  ordinery  kind  o'  livin',  I  ruther  incline 
to  think  my  ole  woman  wouldn't  go  agin  keepin' 
of  her  fur  a  few  weeks.  We  live  snug  by  the 
water  yonder,  'an  so  we  git  a  coolish  breeze  the 
better  part  of  the  hot  weather.  Ef  yer  like,  we'll 
trot  down  an'  tech  the  ole  lady  'bout  it." 

Tom  agreed ;  so  they  walked  over  to  the  Sandy 
residence,  which  was  a  comfortable  frame  cottage, 
painted  a  pale  peacock-green,  with  reddish  colored 
blinds.  Mrs.  Sandy  was  drawing  water  from  the 
family  well  in  front  of  the  cottage.  Tom  stated 
the  case  to  her  briefly,  and  after  a  quick  glance  at 
the  smiling  face  of  her  good  husband,  she  said  she 
thought  she  could  accommodate  the  two  ladies,' 
and  led  them  to  a  comfortable  room  at  a  corner 
of  the  house,  which  overlooked  the  water  on  one 
side  and  commanded  an  extensive  view  of  the 
street  on  the  other. 

After  the  necessary  arrangements  about  terms, 
etc.,  Tom  asked  for  writing  materials,  and  imme- 


28          A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

diately  indited  a  letter  to  his  sister  Belle,  inform- 
ing her  that  they  could  all  come  on  at  once.  This 
the  postmaster  waited  for.  As  they  were  passing 
out  of  the  house  they  were  met  by  a  huge  dog 
with  anything  but  a  friendly  look  in  his  eyes. 

"  Don't  be  skeered  on  him,"  said  Mr.  Sandy. 
"  Here  Sikey,  lie  down,  sir."  The  dog  sulked  into 
the  house.  "  That  is  the  meanest  dorg  out,"  he 
continued.  "Pie  was  fetched  to  me  by  an  ole 
sailor,  a  mate  o'  mine,  from  across  the  water.  He 
is  a  cross  atween  a  Sain'  Bernard  an'  a  blood- 
hound ;  an'  when  he  fust  come,  he'd  chase  the 
cattle  almost  to  death  an'  destruction ;  but  I  cured 
him,  I  did,  didn't  I,  wife  ?"  Mrs.  Sandy  nodded 
approvingly. 

"How  did  you  cure  him,  Mr.  Sandy?"  asked 
Jack. 

"Waal,  fust  I  began  to  lick  him  whenever  he 
cut  up  them  capers ;  but  the  critter  didn't  seem  to 
notice  what  I  were  lickin'  him  fur;  so  one  day  I 
made  up  my  mind  I'd  learn  the  cuss  to  obey.  I 
fetched  him  inter  the  barn,  shet  all  the  doors  an' 
threw  a  chunk  o'  meat  on  the  floor,  and  told  'im 
not  to  tetch  it.  Waal,  he  did  tetch  it,  an'  gobbled 
it  down  at  one  gulp.  Then  I  licked  him  for  tetch- 
in'  it  until  he  yelled.  Then  I  flung  another  chunk 
o'  meat,  an'  telled  him  not  to  tetch  that;  but  he 
gobbled  that  right  down  the  same  as  t'other,  and 
so  I  licked  'im  agin.  Waal,  I  kep  droppin'  chunk 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          29 

arter  chunk  o'  meat,  an'  he  kep  a  gobblin'  'em  right 
along,  and  I  kep  a  lickin'  on  him  like  blazes,  until, 
finally,  I  could  stick  a  chunk  right  under  the 
critter's  nose  an'  he  never  offered  to  tetch  it,  or 
even  smell  of  it.  That's  the  way  I  cured  that 
dorg,  gentlemen.  You  can  try  it  on  any  dorg  you 
ever  see,  an'  it'll  allus  work  like  a  charm." 

"Didn't  it  take  a  large  quantity  of  meat?" 
asked  Jack. 

"  Waal,  yes,"  said  Sandy,  "  it  did ;  but  it's  only 
fur  once,  an'  it's  worth  it." 

After  making  arrangements  with  Mr.  Sandy  to 
bring  them  provisions  every  morning,  including 
milk  and  bread,  they  returned  to  the  boat. 

"  Here's  a  go !"  shouted  Jack,  as  they  rowed 
back  over  the  water.     "  What  shall  we  do?" 

"  We  must  do  the  best  we  can,"  said  Tom.  "The 
girls  and  Bid  must  occupy  the  upper  room,  and 
we  can  sleep  down-stairs  on  the  floor,  or  hang 
ourselves  upon  nails  in  the  chimney-corner." 

"  I  will  build  a  couple  of  bunks  in  a  corner  of 
the  lower  room,"  said  Jack.  "  I  noticed  some  loose 
boards  under  the  house  this  morning,  which  will 
serve  nicely  for  that  purpose." 

"  No  more  dish-washing,"  said  Tom,  with  a  sigh 
of  relief. 

"And  no  more  bed-making,"  said  Jack,  "nor 
care  about  how  our  grub  must  be  cooked.  I  tell 
you,  old  fellow,  it  is  a  grand  scheme,  having  them 

3* 


30          A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

here.  We  will  live  like  fighting-cocks  and  grow 
fat." 

It  was  a  few  hours  after  this  that  Jack,  coming 
in  from  one  of  his  tramps  in  search  of  views  for 
future  work,  went  up-stairs  to  pull  off  his  wet 
boots. 

After  supper  they  strolled  out  for  a  walk,  Jack 
taking  his  banjo.  They  crossed  the  cove  to  Bogus 
Island  in  the  boat,  sat  in  the  summer-house,  and 
enjoyed  the  charming  view  to  the  east,  south, 
and  west  of  them.  The  evening  was  perfect. 
The  surface  of  the  water  reflected  in  a  thousand 
golden  ripples  the  soft  rays  of  the  slowly-setting 
sun,  which  was  now  a  huge  ball  of  lurid  fire  in  the 
glowing  western  sky. 

Jack  was  in  ecstasies ;  Tom  inclined  to  revery. 
Thus  they  sat,  occasionally  conversing  until  long 
after  the  sun  had  disappeared  behind  the  distant 
western  hills.  What  a  delightful  contrast  was  this 
to  their  constrained  life  in  the  hot  metropolis. 
Here  that  elixir  of  life,  pure  cool  air,  gave  them 
strength  and  vigor,  while  the  knowledge  of  the 
contrast  to  what  they  had  endured  in  the  city 
only  made  it  more  enjoyable. 

Here,  instead  of  the  weary,  limited  view  of  bricks 
and  mortar,  was  an  unconfined  expanse  of  water ; 
in  one  direction  hills  and  woods,  in  another  an  un- 
obstructed view  of  a  sublime  sunset  to  gaze  upon. 

When  darkness  in  long  sweeping  shadows  began 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          ^i 

to  gather  around  them  Jack  laid  aside  his  pipe,  and 
in  his  clear  tenor  voice  began  to  sing,  accompany- 
ing himself  upon  the  banjo.  Tom  joined  in  with 
his  rich  bass  voice. 

It  was  their  common  practice  at  home  to  sing ; 
but  never  before  had  music  seemed  so  gratifying  as 
here  upon  the  quiet  waters  of  Oldport  Harbor. 
Both  being  excellent  singers,  and  Jack  a  master  at 
accompaniment,  the  melody  which  they  produced 
was  well  calculated  to  bring  out  the  sleeping  fairies 
of  the  island  and  woo  the  water-nymphs  to  its 
moss-bound  shores.  The  sweet  music  wafted  its 
way  over  the  peaceful  harbor  to  the  near-lying 
coast,  there  mingling  harmoniously  with  the  gentle 
beating  of  the  incoming  waves,  while  along  the 
country  lanes  and  by-ways  by  the  beach  wooing 
couples  ceased  their  love-exchanges  to  imbibe  the 
precious  melody,  and  the  weary  rustic  on  his  way 
to  the  well  for  his  evening  draught  paused  spell- 
bound till  the  music  ceased. 

Who  has  not  experienced  the  great  charm  of 
music  upon  the  waters  at  night?  At  such  times 
it  seems  as  though  the  conditions  by  which  music 
may  flow  into  the  willing  soul  are  all  amply  ful- 
filled. Our  friends  in  the  summer-house  sang  and 
chatted  until  the  chilly  sea-air  warned  them  to  re- 
tire to  the  cottage  to  spend  their  first  night  in  the 
country. 

Ah,  that  first  night !     How  the  very  thought  of 


32          A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

it  brings  to  the  weary  city-worn  soul  a  sense  of 
vigorous  refreshment.  No  gasping  at  the  wide- 
open  casement  for  a  breath  of  fresh  air.  No  toss- 
ing upon  hot  linen  in  vain  effort  to  secure  a  com- 
fortable position.  No  lying  with  eyes  wide  open 
into  the  small  hours  of  morning  when  the  rumbling 
of  early  milk-  and  market-wagons  attests  to  the 
nearness  of  daylight.  None  of  these  curses,  but 
sleep,  sweet,  restful,  uninterrupted  sleep. 


CHAPTER    II. 

Belle  and  her  Friend— The  Doctor's  Letter  to  Boots— Mrs.  Till- 
ottson — A  short  History  of  Miss  Knowles — Boarding-school 
Friendship — Roger  Dexter — Morning  at  Cup  Island — Jack  as 
he  appeared  to  the  Natives. 

Two  handsome  girls  were  sitting  in  a  low  basket 
phaeton  at  the  door  of  an  unimposing-looking  post- 
office  in  the  town  of  W ,  Massachusetts.  They 

were  awaiting  the  regular  distribution  of  the  morn- 
ing mail.  One,  around  whose  white  shapely  arm  the 
reins  are  twisted  carelessly,  whose  broad-brimmed 
sun-hat  failed  to  conceal  the  golden-hued'  curls 
which  had  escaped  bondage  and  were  clustered 
around  two  deep-blue  laughing  eyes,  whose 
rounded  cheeks  and  graceful  neck  and  matchless, 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          33 

healthful  complexion,  and  whose  pouting,  restless 
lips  bespoke  a  life  of  fun,  frolic,  and  incessant 
activity ;  this  young  lady,  with  her  broad  shoulders 
and  shapely  figure,  a  Venus  in  modern  trapery, 
was  Isabel  Tillottson,  Tom's  sister. 

By  her  side,  a  trifle  shorter  in  stature,  but  not 
less  striking  in  face  or  figure,  sat  her  friend,  Nettie 
Knowles.  People  said  on  seeing  them  together, — 

"  What  a  beautiful  contrast.  Behold  evening 
and  morning." 

Miss  Knowles  had  brown  eyes,  with  hair  as 
black  as  night  itself.  Her  complexion  was  dark, 
but  full  of  bloom.  No  sluggish  or  lymphatic  blood 
coursed  through  her  veins ;  yet,  while  one  viewed 
her,  expecting  momentarily  vivacity  and  excite- 
ment, there  was  an  air  of  pure  contentment  and 
self-possession,  a  look  of  sweet  repose,  about  her 
which  told  the  story  of  a  true  life  well  spent,  and 
a  future  of  noble  exertions.  A  glance  at  these 
two  specimens  of  fascinating  girlhood  as  they  sat 
innocently  chatting  in  the  neat  little  phaeton,  would 
have  sufficed  to  transform  the  most  hardened  for- 
eign skeptic  into  a  willing  panegyrist  upon  the 
beauty  of  these,  America's  maidens. 

The  short,  compact,  dignified  little  roan  pony, 
to  whom  Miss  Belle  occasionally  addressed  a 
caressing  word,  though  apparently  troubled  by 
the  inevitable  summer  flies,  acted  and  looked  full 
appreciation  of  the  importance  and  responsibility 


34 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


which  devolved  upon  him  as  the  bearer  of  such 
precious  freight.  He  stamped  his  feet,  switched 
his  apology  for  a  caudal  appendage,  vigorously 
shook  the  solid  muscles  of  his  shoulders,  occa- 
sionally turning  his  head  backward  for  a  moment, 
and  with  soulful  eyes  looking  gratitude  at  Nettie, 
who  industriously  brushed  off  the  venomous  flies 
with  the  end  of  the  whip.  How  well  he  knew 
that  the  weapon  was  never  put  to  a  more  serious 
use.  Tobey  was  a  good  pony,  and  well  deserved 
the  care  and  affection  which  were  lavished  upon 
him  by  his  human  acquaintances. 

A  slight  commotion  among  the  people  gath- 
ered about  the  post-office  indicated  that  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  mail  had  begun.  Miss  Tillottson 
jumped  lightly  out  of  the  vehicle,  and,  after  dis- 
appearing for  a  few  moments,  returned  with  the 
family  mail. 

"  See,  Nettie,"  cried  she  joyfully,  stepping  at 
the  same  time  briskly  into  the  phaeton,  "  a  letter 
from  Tom.  I  knew  he  would  answer  promptly, 
and  I  feel  that  it  contains  good  news  for  us. 
Keep  the  reins.  Now,  drive  Tobey  slowly  and  I 
will  read  the  letter."  This  without  further  cere- 
mony she  proceeded  to  do. 

Her  look  of  eager  curiosity  soon  changed,  and 
a  pleased  smile  illuminated  her  beautiful  face  as  she 
read,  and  before  she  had  reached  the  end,  and  as 
she  finished,  her  whole  countenance  was  wreathed 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


35 


in  smiles.  She  burst  into  a  hearty  laugh,  and  said 
to  her  friend  Nettie, — 

"  I  will  read  what  the  dear  boy  says.  He  is  too 
good  for  anything,  but  you  must  not  tell  that  I 
betrayed  confidence,  will  you  ?" 

"  Honor  bright,"  said  Nettie,  mysteriously,  and 
Belle  then  read  as  follows  : 

"  DEAR  BOOTS, — To  say  that  the  contents  of 
your  letter  surprised  me  would  be  drawing  it  too 
mildly.  I  was  annihilated,  discombobolated,  and 
for  a  while  helplessly  paralyzed.  Why,  Jack  and 
I  were  hardly  settled  in  our  rough  (very  rough) 
quarters  when  along  comes  your  bombshell  of  a 
letter,  upsetting  all  of  our  arrangements  and  over- 
throwing all  of  our  plans.  We  fly  from  petticoat- 
infested  Gotham,  seeking  the  seclusion  sacred  of  a 
deserted  isle,  when  before  we  have  slept  upon  our 
relieved  condition  in  pops  your  epistle  upon  us, 
and  with  visions  of  petticoats  innumerable.  There, 
now,  don't  cry.  Of  course  you  may  come,  Boots ; 
you  always  did  do  just  as  you  wanted,  and  always 
will,  I  suppose,  as  long  as  you  have  such  a  weak- 
headed,  easily-ridden  brother.  Jack  does  not  seem 
to  feel  bad  about  your  prospective  raid,  so  I  guess  I 
won't  care ;  besides,  I  have  not  entirely  forgotten 
the  bright  vision  of  a  round,  pretty  face,  with  deep 
inquiring  hazel  eyes  peering  out  of  its  upper  story, 
which  greeted  me  when  I  visited  your  school.  I 


36         A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

have  carried  them  eyes  about  with  me  ever  since. 
Yes,  I  have,  in  my  vest-pocket, — the  upper  left. 
Now,  don't  go  and  tell  Miss  Knowles  all  this, 
Boots,  for  you  know  I  only  saw  her  for  a  moment. 
I  wonder  if  she  remembers  me  ?  Seriously,  though, 
Boots,  do  you  think  you  girls  can  stand  it  at  the 
cottage  ?  You  have  been  here,  you  know,  and 
can  best  judge  whether  your  friend  will  be  able  to 
endure  the  inconveniences. 

"  I  have  found  a  place  for  mother  and  Aunt  Deb 
near  the  beach  in  Oldport.  Bid  can  be  accommo- 
dated at  the  cottage,  I  guess.  Mother's  room  is 
at  the  house  of  a  man  of  astounding  accomplish- 
ments, one  Sandy  by  name  and  appearance. 
Samuel  Sandy  has  sandy  hair  and  complexion. 
The  Sandy  cottage  is  close  upon  a  sandy  beach, 
and  is,  withal,  about  as  snug  and  comfortable  a 
place  as  mother  could  desire  or  expect  in  such  an 
antiquated,  out-of-the-way  neighborhood. 

"  I  write  in  haste  to  catch  the  down  mail.  You 
will  receive  this  in  the  morning.  Come  on  the 
noon  train  next  Wednesday,  the  day  after  to-mor- 
row, and  please  bring  extra  bedding  along  for  two 
or  three.  Jack  says  he  will  rig  up  some  Oriental 
bunks  in  the  scullery  a  la  Chinese ;  but  we  don't 
agree  to  do  the  washing.  Bring  a  bottle  of  whis- 
key and  some  court-plaster ;  we  may  need  both. 
"  Ever  your  loving 

"THOMAS  CAT." 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          37 

"  Now,  didn't  I  tell  you  the  dear  boy  couldn't 
refuse  me  ?"  said  Belle,  gleefully.  "  He  is  just  too 
good  for  anything.  Think  of  it,  Nettie,  what  an 
awful  bore  it  will  be  to  those  men, — having  two 
girls  roughing  it  out  on  that  island  !" 

"  Perhaps  we  had  better  give  it  up  after  all  ?" 
said  Nettie,  whose  heart  failed  her  when  she 
thought  of  being  a  trouble  to  anybody. 

"  No,  indeed ;  we  cannot  give  up  going  now," 
replied  Belle,  "  for  there  is  mamma,  you  know, 
who  must  have  a  change.  The  doctor  has  ordered 
sea-air;  so  now  we  must  make  the  best  of  the 
little  time  we  have  before  to-morrow,  in  order  to 
get  everything  ready."  Then,  still  seeing  a  look 
of  doubt  on  Nettie's  countenance,  she  continued, — 

"We  can  be  of  the  greatest  use  to  Tom  and 
Mr.  Stratton,  you  know,  dear.  We  will  see  that 
the  house  is  kept  tidy,  and  that  the  cooking  is 
good,  and  before  we  have  been  on  the  island 
twenty-four  hours  they  will  be  glad  enough  that 
we  came." 

"  It  is  rather  strange  that  he  should  have  re- 
membered me  so  long,"  Nettie  said,  half  to  her- 
self. 

"  Not  at  all  strange,  you  dear  little  goose,"  said 
Belle,  accompanying  her  remark  with  a  kiss.  "  He 
did  nothing  but  talk  of  you  for  a  whole  week 
after  we  reached  home." 

"  But  he  only  saw  me  for  a  moment  or  two, 
4 


38          A   SUMMER  IN   OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

and  then  there  were  several  other  girls  in  the 
room." 

"  Not  like  my  sweet  old  Net,"  said  Belle,  lov- 
ingly. "  Isn't  it  good  of  Jack — I  mean  Mr.  Strat- 
ton — to  make  those  Oriental  booths  in  the  lower 
room  of  the  cottage  ?" 

"  Bunks,  you  mean,"  said  Nettie,  laughing. 

"  Well,  bunks,"  said  Belle,  "  whatever  they  are. 
But  I  forgot,  Nettie,  that  you  had  never  seen  the 
place.  I  hope  you  will  not  be  disappointed.  It 
is  horribly  inconvenient;  but  it  is  lovely  there  on 
the  island,  and  the  views  are  so  exquisite  that  one 
soon  forgets  everything  unpleasant." 

"  I  am  certain,  Belle,  that  if  you  are  pleased  and 
happy  there,  I  shall  be,"  said  Nettie. 

Thus  chatting,  as  they  rode  along,  occasionally 
stopping  at  some  dry-goods  establishment  or 
grocery  to  purchase  some  of  the  things  which 
they  needed  for  their  journey,  and  which  they 
had  carefully  written  down  upon  a  piece  of  paper, 
they  finally  reached  home,  where  they  imparted 
the  good  news  to  Mrs.  Tillottson. 

Belle's  mother  was  a  lady  of  striking  appear- 
ance. In  figure  tall  and  majestic,  with  a  face  of 
uncommon  sweetness  and  serenity,  she  was  a  lady 
who  always  commanded  respect  from  those  with 
whom  she  came  in  contact.  Her  voice  was  one 
of  her  chief  charms.  She  never  vaporized  nor 
adopted  high  accents;  but  whenever  she  spoke 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


39 


there  was  to  the  listener  a  soothing  effect  like 
that  caused  by  the  summer  wind  breathing  softly 
through  grateful  foliage.  Her  manner  was  always 
easy  and  unconstrained ;  and  this  gracious  gift  was 
particularly  noticeable  on  those  occasions  when  a 
slight  stiffness  or  formality  might  be  expected  and 
perfectly  excusable.  In  this  she  differed  materi- 
ally from  the  great  majority  of  ladies  of  her  own 
age,  who,  when  taken  unawares  or  in  emergencies, 
lose  in  manner  and  presence  of  mind.  But  per- 
haps the  most  noticeable  virtue  of  this  sweet 
woman  was  her  great  love  for  the  society  of 
young  people. 

Her  house  was  always  open  to  them,  and  they 
in  their  turn  were  glad  to  be  in  her  company.  A 
subtle  something  in  her  manner  of  receiving  their 
overtures  seemed  to  win  their  youthful  hearts  at 
once,  and  with  their  hearts  their  full  and  unre- 
strained confidence.  If  secrets  were  kept  from 
others,  they  were  never  withheld  from  Aunt  Mary, 
as  she  was  called  by  all  of  her  young  acquaint- 
ances. She  in  her  turn  was  always  faithful,  and 
true  to  her  trust,  although  a  sort  of  repository  for 
all  sorts  of  information.  Youthful  lovers  always 
found  sympathy  with  Aunt  Mary.  Was  there  a 
new  baby  in  town,  Aunt  Mary  knew  of  it  first, 
and,  moreover,  would  be  the  first  to  see  that  its 
mother  was  comfortable.  Was  there  sickness  or 
suffering,  she  was  the  ever-present  ministering 


4Q    A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

angel.  It  is  easy  to  understand,  therefore,  why 
Aunt  Mary  was  very  much  beloved  by  the  good 
people  of  W . 

With  the  occasional  exception  of  a  short  trip  to 
New  York  or  Boston,  she  had  been  away  from 

W very  little  since  her  husband's  death,  ten 

years  previous ;  therefore,  when  her  physician  ad- 
vised and  urged  her  to  go  to  the  sea-shore  for  a 
few  weeks,  she  naturally  felt  reluctant  about  leav- 
ing her  home.  Her  daughter,  Belle,  however, 
with  her  happy  thoughtfulness,  suggested  going 
to  Oldport,  and  the  prospect  of  joining  her  son 
Tom  had  entirely  reconciled  her  to  the  idea  of 
leaving.  She  consequently  awaited  his  reply  with 
almost  as  much  anxiety  and  interest  as  the  two 
young  ladies. 

Judge  of  her  pleasure,  then,  when  they  came 
joyfully  bustling  into  her  presence  with  Tom's 
welcome  letter. 

"  Now,  girls,"  said  she,  after  reading  it  atten- 
tively, "  is  the  time  for  action;  There  is  much  to 
be  accomplished  before  to-morrow  morning.  I 
will  trust  you  to  collect  the  things  we  shall  neces- 
sarily need  during  our  absence,  while  I  see  that 
the  household  affairs  are  left  in  proper  condition, 
for  you  know  Aunt  Deborah  is  going  with  us." 

It  is  needless  to  describe  the  busy  bustle  of 
preparation  into  which  they  now  threw  themselves. 
Nettie  was  by  no  means  a  useless  guest,  neither 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.         ^ 

did  she  require  the  contagion  of  activity  as  an  in- 
centive to  action.  With  her,  mind  and  body  were 
completely  subservient  to  will,  and  her  will  was 
always  good. 

Here,  perhaps,  it  may  be  best  to  give  the  reader 
something  of  her  previous  history. 

Nettie  Knowles  was  an  orphan.  About  fifteen 
years  previous,  her  father,  then  a  missionary  of 
considerable  reputation,  and  settled  at  Honolulu, 
in  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  died,  leaving  an  invalid 
widow,  and  Nettie,  his  daughter,  then  little  more 
than  two  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Knowles,  his  widow, 
unable  to  endure  the  first  fierce  agonies  of  grief  at 
her  bereavement,  became  more  feeble, — could  not 
even  seem  to  rally  for  her  child's  sake,  to  meet 
again  the  struggles  of  the  world.  She  lingered 
between  life  and  death  a  few  short  weeks,  and 
finally  followed  her  husband,  leaving  her  little  girl 
alone,  and  in  a  foreign  land.  The  American  con- 
sul, a  man  of  large  heart  and  noble  impulses,  took 
little  Nettie  into  his  own  family,  writing,  as  he  had 
promised  her  mother  he  would,  to  the  child's  near- 
est relative  in  the  United  States.  Adam  Dexter, 
to  whom  the  letter  was  addressed,  was  a  widower, 
and  the  brother  of  Mrs.  Knowles.  He  lived  in 

G ,  one  of  the  flourishing  towns  in  Central 

New  York,  where,  by  prudence,  energy,  and  fate, 
he  had  amassed  a  considerable  fortune  as  a  manu- 
facturer. He  had  one  son,  Roger,  then  a  youth 

4* 


42          A    SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

of  perhaps  ten  years.  To  this  uncle  of  Nettie's 
came  the  sad  intelligence  of  the  death  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Knowles,  and  the  destitute  condition  of  their 
child.  He  was  not  a  man  to  hesitate  when  duty 
demanded  his  services ;  therefore,  he  immediately 
started  for  Honolulu,  and  in  less  than  three  months 
little  Nettie  was  comfortably  settled  at  her  uncle's 
as  his  adopted  daughter. 

She  was  too  young  to  miss  her  parents  long. 
Time,  that  obliterator  of  human  sorrow,  soon 
taught  her  to  regard  Mr.  Dexter  as  a  father,  and 
she  loved  him  with  all  the  affection  of  a  daughter. 

Shortly  after  her  fourteenth  anniversary  Mr. 
Dexter  sent  her  to  a  fashionable  boarding-school 
in  Massachusetts,  where  she  met  and  became 
strongly  attached  to  Belle  Tillottson,  her  room- 
mate and  fellow-student.  Thus,  thrown  so  closely 
together,  and  both  possessing  affectionate,  clinging 
natures,  they  formed  a  friendship,  which,  unlike 
the  ordinary  school-girl  attachments,  was  destined 
to  last  as  long  as  life  itself. 

The  year  previous  to  the  time  when  we  now  see 

them  at  W ,  they  had  graduated  from  school 

and  parted,  each  going  to  her  own  home;  but 
their  mutual  love  was  too  strong  to  allow  a  long 
separation,  and  Belle  had  spent  the  greater  part  of 
the  winter  at  Nettie's  home  in  New  York  State. 
Of  course,  the  advent  of  two  pretty  and  otherwise 
attractive  young  ladies  in  a  town  like  G 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


43 


awakened  considerable  curiosity  and  interest. 
They  were  invited  out,  feasted  and  entertained  by 
the  ladies  of  the  town  to  a  degree  almost  danger- 
ous ;  dangerous,  provided  they  had  been  frivolous 
young  maidens,  which  they  were  not.  Their  heads 
were  not  easily  turned,  nor  their  hearts  ready  to 
be  stormed ;  therefore,  at  the  end  of  their  gay  sea- 
son, t;hey  were  as  fresh,  as  vivacious,  as  sensible 
and  free  from  guile  as  when  they  began  it.  Their 
close  friendship  served  to  guard  them  from  society's 
contagious  evils,  for  they  acted,  one  for  the  other, 
as  guardian  and  consort.  Nettie  not  having  a 
brother  or  sister  of  her  own,  naturally  clung  to 
Belle  with  greater  affection.  Her  uncle's  son, 
Roger,  had  left  his  home  some  years  before,  after 
a  brief  but  serious  quarrel  with  his  father,  and  had 
never  returned ;  in  fact,  he  had  not  even  written. 

Nettie  had  become  very  much  attached  to  this 
boy ;  but  as  time  passed  she  but  vaguely  remem- 
bered the  circumstances  connected  with  his  depart- 
ure, for  her  uncle  seldom  spoke  of  him  in  her 
presence.  Roger  had  been  quick-tempered,  but 
Nettie  had  loved  him  sincerely,  and  he,  in  boy 
fashion,  had  amply  returned  her  affection,  showing 
his  fondness  for  her  in  the  thousand  ways  of  which 
children  are  so  capable. 

The  recollection  of  one  particular  event  was 
stamped  indelibly  upon  her  memory.  She  had 
one  morning  entered  a  small  garden  near  her 


44 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


uncle's  house  in  girlish  thoughtlessness,  when,  to 
her  surprise  and  horror,  there  appeared  before  her 
a  savage  dog  of  huge  proportions.  Growling 
fiercely,  and  showing  its  wicked  teeth,  it  followed 
her  to  a  corner  of  the  garden  where  it  viciously 
stood  guard  over  her,  not  allowing  her  to  move  a 
step.  She  had  reached  a  condition  of  fright  known 
only  to  those  timid  natures  who  have  been  simi- 
larly situated,  when  her  cousin  Roger  happened 
to  look  out  of  an  upper  window  of  Mr.  Dexter's 
house  and  saw  the  trouble.  In  less  time  than  it 
takes  to  tell  it,  he  was  down  in  the  garden  vigor- 
ously belaboring,  with  a  large  poker,  the  brute, 
who,  not  relishing  that  sort  of  treatment,  and  suc- 
cumbing quickly  to  the  sovereignty  of  man  and 
poker,  went  howling  down  the  street,  never,  it  is 
to  be  hoped,  to  return.  Roger  ever  after  this  was 
Nettie's  hero.  A  mutual  admiration  syndicate  was 
started,  which,  until  Roger's  departure,  tied  the 
knot  of  their  childish  fealty  to  one  another  tighter 
and  stronger  than  ever  before.  There  was,  there- 
fore, a  tender  spot  cherished  in  Nettie's  heart  for 
this  absent,  excommunicated  one,  which  time  was 
unable  to  eradicate. 

The  young  men  upon  Cup  Island  were  awakened 
with  the  early  day  on  Tuesday  morning  by  a  lusty 
voice  shouting,  "  Hello !  Is  there  anybody  to 
hum?"  accompanying  the  question  with  a  lively 
banging  upon  the  door  of  the  cottage.  Jack  was 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


45 


the  first  to  awake,  and,  stepping  quickly  to  the 
window,  said,  with  some  anxiety, — 

"  What's  the  row  down  there  ?  Who  is  it  ? 
What  do  you  want  ?  Oh,  is  that  you,  Mr.  Sandy  ? 
Good-morning.  Hold  on  a  jiffy,  and  I  will  be 
down  to  let  you  in." 

Tom  rolled  lazily  over,  and,  gradually  gaining 
consciousness,  asked  Jack,  in  a  sleepy  sort  of  way, 
if  there"  were  burglars  about. 

"  Yes,"  said  Jack,  hastily  donning  his  outer 
garments.  "  Don't  you  hear  them  whistling?" 

Sure  enough,  "  The  Fisher's  Hornpipe"  came 
floating  in  through  the  open  window,  accompa- 
nied by  a  tattoo  upon  the  door  which  would  have 
aroused  the  admiration  of  a  drum-major.  Jack 
ran  down  and  admitted  the  drummer. 

"  I've  fetched  ye  over  them  things,"  said  he, 
picking  up  a  basket,  carrying  it  into  the  house, 
and  returning  for  a  large  tin  pail  filled  with  milk. 
"  I  reckon  'twould  be  better  to  lower  that  butter 
down  into  the  well,  fur  it  gits  tolable  hot  here 
daytimes,  an'  it  might  run  away  from  ye." 

"  No ;  we  don't  git  a  night-mail  in  Oldport,"  in 
answer  to  a  question  from  Jack,  who  then  asked, — 

"  What  time  do  you  open  the  post-office  in  the 
morning,  Mr.  Sandy?" 

"  Waal,  long  about  eight  o'clock,  ef  I  happen  to 
be  thar  at  the  store.  I  hev  a  young  feller  to  open 
the  store  at  six  o'clock,  while  I'm  doin'  up  my 


46 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


chores.  Good-morning,  Dorkter.  Hope  you  had 
a  good  night's  rest,  sir.  Fair  night  for  sleepin' ; 
good  sea-breeze,  an'  no  skeeters." 

"  Do  you  have  mosquitoes  at  Oldport,  Sam  ?" 
asked  Tom,  quickly. 

"  Waal,  they  is  times,  Dorkter,  yer  know,"  said 
Sandy,  scratching  his  head  meditatively,  and  see- 
ing his  mistake, — "  they  is  times  when  the  tarnal 
critters  will  swarm  everywhere,  and  I  s'pose  Old- 
port  ain't  no  'ception ;  but  yer  needn't  be  afeered 
of  the  ole  lady  gittin'  bit,  for  my  spouse  hez  net- 
tin'  up  to  every  winder  in  the  shanty.  The  raskils 
never  tackle  me.  I  like  to  hear  'em  sing  of  a 
night,  but  my  wife's  dreadful  sensitive  at  'em  ;  an' 
when  she's  bit  they  swell  up  big  as  a  hen's  egg, 
and  pester  her  all  day  long  with  their  itchin'.  I 
reckon  I'll  be  'round  with  that  boat  'bout  noon- 
time," he  continued,  forgetting  the  mosquitoes. 
"  I'm  going  down  now  to  git  some  of  the  boys  to 
help  me  launch  her  an'  see  how  she  rides.  Yer 
see,  I've  been  heavy-plankin'  her  inside,  and  I 
want  ter  see  how  she  rides  when  I  git  her  new 
ballus*  in.  Oh,  she  isn't  a  bit  cranky.  Don't 
you  be  skeered.  Only  I  want  her  to  look  kind 
o'  ship-shape  an*  snug,  so's  the  ladies  won't  be 
ashamed  on  her.  Do  yer  understan'  sailin'  a 
craft,  Dorkter  ?" 

"  Somewhat,"  said  Tom,  winking  at  Jack. 

"  I  reckoned  yer  did,  fur  yer  father  was  as  neat 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.         47 

a  sailor  fur  a  lan'-lubber  as  ever  I  seen.  I  allus 
calkerlated  he  bed  taken  a  vige  when  he  was  a 
youngster  somewhor.  He  had  a  keen  eye  fur 
ducks,  too;  so  don't  forget  it.  An*  he  was  a 
good  hand  at  a  gun,  an'  knew  which  end  was 
dangerous.  Like  as  not  yer  friend  is  a  banker  ?" 
nodding  his  head  in  Jack's  direction,  who,  at  the 
other  end  of  the  room,  was  taking  the  things  out 
of  the  basket. 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Tom. 

"  Lawyer,  maybe  ?"  said  Sandy,  in  a  tone  which 
struggled  in  vain  to  sound  indifferent. 

"  No,"  said  Tom ;  "  he  is  not  a  lawyer,  exactly." 

"  What  may  he  do  fur  a  livin',  then  ?"  asked 
Sandy,  getting  desperate,  but  determined. 

"  He  is  a  student  of  chiaroscuro  and  perspec- 
tive," said  Tom,  in  his  most  impressive  manner. 

This  reply  seemed  to  perfectly  satisfy  Sandy, 
who,  with  a  grunt  of  approval,  prepared  to  depart, 
saying  that  he  would  return  in  the  middle  of  the 
day  with  the  sail-boat. 

A  few  days  after  this  they  heard  through  Mrs. 
Tillottson,  who  had  gathered  it  from  some  of  the 
villagers,  that  Sandy  had  told  several  of  them 
that  Jack  was  soon  to  be  some  kind  of  a  doctor, 
for  Dr.  Tillottson  had  informed  him  that  he  (Jack) 
was  studying  to  be  a  "  curious-curer."  He  also 
said  openly  that,  for  his  part,  he  didn't  take  much 
stock  in  these  new-fangled  doctors,  who  pretended 


48          A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

to  cure  by  "  rubbin'  an'  'lectrics,  an'  all  such  per- 
spectives." 

It  may  be  supposed  from  this  that  Mr.  Sandy 
was  not  an  intelligent  man,  but  quite  the  contrary 
was  the  case.  His  knowledge  was  to  a  large  ex- 
tent— in  fact,  almost  exclusively — of  the  practical 
kind.  If  a  horse  in  the  village  or  neighborhood 
was  sick  or  disabled,  Mr.  Sandy's  veterinary  skill 
was  sure  to  be  called  upon,  and  generally  by  no 
means  in  vain.  If  an  arm  was  broken,  and  the 
village  doctor  was  out  of  town ;  if  a  potato  crop 
was  in  danger,  if  a  cow  obstinately  refused  to 
"  give  down,"  if  hens  could  not  be  coaxed  to  lay, 
or  if  a  pump  would  not  do  its  duty,  our  friend 
Sandy  could  generally  suggest  a  remedy  which 
proved  effective.  Among  the  villagers  he  was  a 
sort  of  Solomon,  a  man  for  emergencies.  When, 
therefore,  his  proclamation  went  abroad,  giving 
Jack  such  a  reputation  for  mysticism  as  was  in- 
volved in  his  mysterious  words  "curious-curer," 
"  perspectives,"  and  "  'lectrics,"  it  is  not  strange 
that  they  should  have  lifted  him,  in  their  minds, 
up  to  the  level  of  things  marvellous  and  unac- 
countable. Of  this  Jack  had  frequent  evidence 
during  his  stay  in  the  neighborhood.  Jack's  cos- 
tume, on  his  sketching  jaunts,  by  no  means  led  to 
a  lessening  of  this  feeling.  He  often  wore  a  white 
helmet  (not  so  common  in  this  country  then  as 
now,  an  excellent  head-protector  from  the  sun's 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.         49 

rays),  a  jersey  and  pants  of  some  very  light-colored 
material,  probably  corduroy,  and  his  feet  were  en- 
cased in  a  pair  of  white-canvas  tennis  shoes.  Add 
to  this  costume  a  figure  seventy-three  inches  in 
height  from  heel  to  crown,  with  a  weight  of  grace- 
ful correspondence,  a  beard  light-brown  in  color 
and  of  German  type,  close-cut  hair,  and  a  habit 
of  walking  very  erect,  and  we  have  Jack  as  he 
appeared  to  people  more  or  less  accustomed  to  the 
sight  of  summer  tourists  or  tennis  players.  How 
he  appeared  to  these  simple  villagers  may  perhaps 
be  best  described  by  quoting  the  words  of  one  of 
the  village  matrons,  who  was  describing  him  to 
farmer  Green,  her  good  husband. 

"  Well,  yer  see,  Abner,  I  was  fearful  took  back. 
I  sot  thar  a  milkin'  the  yaller  brindle  clus  by  the 
woods  in  the  corner  of  the  old  south  pasture,  where 
I  allus  milks  her,  when  I  heerd  some  one  a-comin' 
long  the  road  whistlin'.  I  looked  up,  and  thar  was 
a  great  tall  feller  all  in  white,  jest  as  Jim  Parsons 
would  look  with  nothing  but  his  underclothes  on, 
and  a  sort  of  scoop  thing  a  settin'  on  top  of  his  head, 
an'  a  pair  of  white  slippers  on  his  feet,  inside  out. 
I  knew  in  a  minit  it  was  that  curious-curer  chap,  an' 
almost  giggled  right  out  in  his  face.  Pretty  soon 
he  came  right  close  up  ter  me  an'  leaned  over  the 
rails,  an'  said  good-mornin',  so  cheerful-like  that  I 
felt  kind  of  ashamed  o'  myself  for  laughin'  at  him. 
He  looked  smilin'  enough,  too ;  but,  dear  me,  when 
c  d  5 


jo         A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

I  fust  seen  him  I  thought  'twas  Pete  Briggs,  the 
miller,  gone  crazy.  He  asked  me  a  few  questions 
which  I  managed  to  answer  civil  enough,  though 
'twas  much  as  I  could  do  ter  keep  from  bu'stin' 
right  out  laughin',  and  all  the  time  he  was  talkin'  he 
was  writin' — or  I  thought  he  was — something  in 
a  little  book  he  took  out  of  his  pocket.  Jest  afore 
he  went  away,  though,  he  showed  me  the  book, 
an'  thar  was  a  picter  of  the  woods,  with  the  big 
chestnut  which  I  wouldn't  let  you  chop  down  last 
fall,  an'  thar  was  the  yaller  brindle  a  standin'  by 
the  fence,  half  asleep,  an',  as  I  live,  thar  was  I  my- 
self, as  nat'ral  as  life,  a  sittin'  thar  a  milkin'  the 
yaller  brindle  on  that  old  starch-box.  That  feller 
ought  to  be  a'  artist  or  a  photygrapher  sure.  It 
was  killin'." 

Tom's  appearance  did  not  seem  at  all  strange  to 
these  people  at  Oldport.  Tall  and  dark,  with  full 
side-whiskers  and  moustache,  he  wore  a  Scotch 
cap,  a  gray  flannel  shirt  tucked  in  at  the  waist  and 
confined  by  a  leather  belt,  with  dark  pants  tucked 
into  high-top  boots.  His  was  a  costume  perfectly 
familiar  to  these  fish-eating  people;  it  smacked 
more  of  the  true  sailor. 

After  Sandy's  departure,  the  young  men  busied 
themselves  about  breakfast,  after  which  they  began 
to  make  preparations  for  the  arrival  and  reception 
of  the  girls  the  following  day.  They  gathered 
running  vines,  went  over  to  the  village  where  they 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.          5  x 

bought  flags  and  fireworks,  ransacked  the  woods 
back  of  Oldport  for  wild-flowers,  and  erected  a 
flag-pole  on  the  cottage.  They  trimmed  the  girls' 
part  of  the  upper  room  with  handsome  vines, 
decorated  the  walls  with  flags,  and  placed  wild- 
flowers  in  every  available  spot,  so  that  from  the 
bare  and  uninviting  attic,  the  room  was  transformed 
into  a. bower  of  fragrant  beauty.  In  the  midst  of 
their  preparations  they  were  interrupted  by  the 
arrival  of  Sandy  with  the  sail-boat.  Tom  gave 
her  a  critical  inspection  as  she  rounded  up  to  the 
little  pier  in  the  cove,  expressing  by  his  looks  his 
satisfaction.  Her  name,  "The  Queen,"  in  large 
but  neat  letters,  was  painted  on  her  stern.  She 
was  large  enough  to  comfortably  accommodate 
six,  or  perhaps,  on  a  pinch,  eight  or  ten  persons. 
She  was  sloop-rigged,  carried  a  heavy  sail,  a  light 
jib,  and  a  centre-board.  She  was  not  a  grey- 
hound in  build  or  speed,  but  was  a  fast  sailer,  and 
admirably  adapted  for  a  safe  pleasure-boat,  capable 
of  successfully  coping  with  the  variable  winds  and 
tides  around  the  islands  and  along  the  coast  near 
where  she  was  built.  She  had  a  locker  or  small 
cabin  forward,  in  which  provisions,  clothing,  etc., 
could  be  stored,  or  in  which,  in  case  of  an  emer- 
gency, three  or  four  people  could  stow  themselves 
away  quite  comfortably. 

Mr.  Sandy  was  hypereulogistic  in  his  praises 
of  the  craft,  and  insisted  upon  their  immediately 


52          -A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

taking  a  little  sail  to  prove  his  statements.  This 
they  proceeded  to  do;  Tom  stepping  on  board 
last,  taking  the  tiller,  and  in  a  graceful  and  mas- 
terly manner  catching  a  sail  full  of  wind.  After  a 
few  experiments  in  rounding  the  points  of  the 
island,  in  stemming  the  tide,  and  in  tacking  and 
beating  up  before  the  wind,  they  decided  that  she 
was  a  comfortable  little  boat,  obedient  to  the  helm, 
and  comparatively  easy  to  handle. 

Thus  amusing  themselves  in  various  ways,  they 
pleasantly  passed  the  second  day  of  their  sojourn 
upon  Cup  Island. 

Wednesday  morning  dawned  upon  them  bright 
and  pleasant.  They  were  up  and  moving  long 
before  Mr.  Sandy  appeared  with  the  supplies. 
They  had  passed  the  previous  night  in  the  bunks, 
which  Jack  had  constructed  in  a  very  creditable 
manner.  They  were  nailed  against  the  wall,  one 
above  the  other,  after  the  manner  of  those  com- 
monly seen  upon  steamboats,  and,  when  provided 
with  the  bedding,  which  was  brought  from  the 
apartment  above,  rendered  good  and  comfortable 
service.  By  hanging  up  blankets  they  contrived 
to  effectually  partition  off  a  sleeping  apartment 
from  the  main  room,  and  the  effect  was  withal 
quite  Oriental,  if  not  unique.  The  village  car- 
penter had  partitioned  off  the  upper  room  also,  so 
that  there  were  three  small  apartments  instead  of 
one  large  room. 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


53 


When  the  time  for  the  arrival  of  the  train  bear- 
ing the  ladies  drew  near,  the  young  men  began  to 
exhibit  symptoms  of  nervousness.  Jack  busied 
himself  improving  the  immediate  surroundings 
of  the  cottage,  which  he  decorated  here  and  there 
with  flags  and  bright  colors,  while  Tom  occupied 
his  time  in  preparing  "The  Queen"  for  their 
reception. 

Finally  they  left  the  island  and  sailed  across  to 
Oldport,  towing  the  row-boat  behind  them  to  carry 
baggage  on  their  return.  They  moored  the  boats 
to  the  pier,  and,  hiring  a  many-seated  wagon, 
went  to  the  railroad  station,  where  they  were  soon 
greeted  by  the  whistling  and  rumbling  of  the 
approaching  train. 


CHAPTER    III. 

A  Story  without  a  Hero — Two  thoroughly  American  Young 
Men — The  Arrival  of  the  Ladies — The  Van  Twists — The 
Girls  upon  Bogus  Island — Bid's  Adventure — The  Rescue — 
Cup  Island  by  Moonlight. 

IT  is  only  fair  to  inform  the  reader  that  we 
claim  no  hero  to  our  little  story.  Tom  and  Jack 
are  both  good  enough  fellows  in  their  way.  Gen- 
erous, truthful,  and  kind-hearted,  if  you  please,  but 
not  perfect.  In  vain  have  we  searched  the  cosmos 

5* 


54 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


for  a  hero  free  from  imperfection,  an  immaculate 
sort  of  individual,  without  a  blemish  to  mar  a 
character  which  the  gods  might  envy.  We  do 
not  mean  to  imply  by  this  that  we  desired  a 
goody-goody  young  gentleman  in  the  sense  com- 
monly accepted,  but  that  specimen  of  a  high- 
minded,  perfect-souled  individual  with  homo  sum 
written  in  letters  of  gold  upon  his  physiognomy. 
A  creature  who  breakfasts  upon  humility,  dines 
upon  probity,  and  sups  with  gusto  upon  self- 
denial, — a  sort  of  modern  example  of  self-abne- 
gated purity.  Our  youngsters  were  none  such. 
They  were  simply  good-natured,  honest  men  of 
the  world,  as  men  of  the  world  go.  Free  from 
mean  streaks,  they  would  be  sure  to  scorn  an  act 
which  savored  of  pettiness.  Perhaps  a  great  emer- 
gency might  bring  out  some  act  of  self-forgetful- 
ness  which  would  suggest  the  heroic,  but  emer- 
gencies are  not  common  nowadays,  and  we  are 
content  to  present  Tom  and  Jack  to  the  reader  as 
they  are,  below  the  average  of  heroes  as  heroes 
run  in  romance.  With  all  their  imperfections  and 
shortcomings  there  was  in  their  manner,  in  the 
frank  expression  of  their  eyes,  an  indescribable 
something,  which  so  surely  wins  honest  feminine 
regard  and  trusting  confidence.  Could  we  say 
more  in  their  favor  than  this  ? 

Such  heroes,  however,  are  not  rare.    America  is 
full  of  them.     They  are  not  ideal ;  they  are  real. 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


55 


They  are  not  perfect,  they  are  progressive ;  con- 
stantly improving  under  our  precious  feminine 
encouragement.  They  are  not  over-domestic,  but 
their  warm-heartedness  on  occasions  brings  out 
the  nobleness  of  their  natures,  while  there  is 
nothing  consistent  with  true  gallantry  which  they 
will  not  readily  do. 

They  do  not  sulk  through  a  lifetime  nursing  a 
sick,  torn  heart  which  will  not  heal ;  for,  once  in 
love,  they  generally  win  the  object  of  their  choice 
by  an  irresistible  tenacity  of  purpose,  born,  per- 
haps, of  Puritan  ancestry,  or  an  essential  outcome 
from  the  truthfulness  and  joyfulness  of  their 
natures.  Another,  and  perhaps  better  reason  for 
their  success  in  affairs  of  the  heart,  is  that  there 
is  nothing  ephemeral  or  clandestine  in  their  court- 
ship. They  are  as  sure  of  their  loves  as  the  mag- 
net is  of  the  steel.  The  net  of  the  flirt  has  no 
charm  for  them ;  they  play  around  it  but  never  in 
it.  In  fact,  they  do  not  flirt  themselves  because 
of  their  instinctive  honesty. 

They  are,  to  be  sure,  in  one  sense,  evanescent, 
fond  of  a  change,  of  merriment,  a  joke,  of  pleas- 
ures light ;  but  these,  like  the  anticipatory  aromas 
of  a  fine  dinner,  are  but  the  fleeting  harbingers  of 
something  more  substantial.  In  their  respective 
professions  our  young  men  excelled,  which  was 
perhaps  reason  enough  for  their  eligibility  to  the 
highest  social  circles  in  New  York.  We  say  the 


56          A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

highest,  meaning  that  element  which  if  not  at  the 
top  or  head,  by  virtue  of  intelligence,  was  none 
the  less  considered  the  society,  par  excellence 
distingue.  We  do  not  mention  this  circumstance 
to  emphasize  their  talents,  although  they  were 
by  no  means  mediocre ;  but  simply  to  inform 
the  reader  of  their  social  advantages.  Like  the 
majority  of  shining  lights,  they  practised  their 
handicrafts  upon  the  very  people  among  whom  it 
was  their  privilege  to  shine;  a  fact  in  harmony, 
we  think,  with  the  laws  which  should  govern 
social  equity  and  equality.  De  Quincey,  in  his 
"  Literary  Reminiscences,"  has  made  the  following 
interesting  statement :  "  Three  persons  in  all" 
(meaning  in  England)  "  may  be  mentioned  from 
the  ranks  of  intellectual  people  who  have  had  a 
footing  in  privileged  society.  I  mean  not  merely 
had  admission  there,  but  a  known  and  extensive 
acceptation.  These  three  were  Lord  Byron,  Dr. 
Johnson,  and  Sir  Walter  Scott.  Now  it  is  ob- 
servable that  the  first  was  in  some  sense  a  denizen 
of  such  society,  in  right  of  birth  and  rank,  and 
of  both  the  others  it  is  remarkable  that  their 
passes  were  first  countersigned  by  kings.  Dr. 
Johnson's  by  George  III.,  Sir  Walter's  by  George 
IV." 

Our  young  friends  were  not  championed  into 
society  channels  by  any  such  methods.  They 
fairly  won  their  social  spurs  by  efficiency,  not  oaly 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.  57 

in  the  practice  of  their  talents  as  professional  men, 
but  by  their  natural  refinement  in  manners  and  in 
matters  of  taste.  It  is,  therefore,  with  a  sense  of 
national  pride  that  we  introduce  them  to  our 
readers  as  typical  Americans,  if  not  as  typical 
heroes.  They  were  both  educated  to  look  upon 
work  as  honorable,  and  not  with  the  pusillanimous 
idea  that  idleness  or  the  dawdling  away  time  use- 
lessly was  the  true  insignia  of  nobility.  Happi- 
ness was  to  them  no  Ignis  Fatuus,  it  was  life, 
reality. 

The  train  from  the  city  steamed  alongside  of  the 
little  station,  at  Oldport,  exactly  on  time. 

The  passengers  alighted,  the  trunks  and  other 
baggage  were  thrown  upon  the  wooden  platform, 
the  whistle  sounded,  the  bell  tolled,  and  away 
went  the  train  gaining  impetus  with  each  throe 
of  the  engine,  leaving  a  flurry  of  dust,  smoke,  and 
anxious  passengers  in  its  wake. 

Tom  recognized  his  mother  and  sister  at  once, 
and,  after  the  usual  formal  introductory  overtures, 
he  and  Jack  succeeded  in  getting  the  females 
safely  seated  in  the  long  wagon,  having  made 
arrangements  with  the  station-agent  to  have  the 
trunks,  etc.,  transferred  to  the  town  at  once.  An- 
other party  had  alighted  at  the  Oldport  Station, — 
an  elderly  gentleman,  his  wife  and  daughter  and 
servants, — but  more  of  them  anon. 

"  Here  we  are  at  last,"  said  Belle,  clapping  her 


5  8          A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

hands  as  gleefully  as  a  young  child.  "What  a 
curious-looking  place  this  always  is  !  Why,  where 
are  our  trunks  ?  Oh,  yes,  I  see  them.  Nettie, 
isn't  this  a  queer  town  ?" 

"  I  see  no  houses  to  make  it  a  town,"  said  Nettie, 
laughing ;  "  and  where  is  the  water  ?" 

"  You  will  see  presently,"  said  Tom,  with  a 
smile;  "but  first  let  us  get  under  way.  Hop  in, 
Jack." 

"  All  right,"  said  Jack,  suiting  the  action  to  the 
word,  and,  jumping  in  beside  Belle,  off  they 
went. 

The  drive  to  Oldport  proper  was  doubly  pleas- 
ant to  Jack,  for  he  had  an  appreciative  sharer  of 
his  enjoyment  of  the  quaint  scenery  by  the  way, 
while  Tom,  with  Nettie  by  his  side  on  the  front 
seat,  drove  the  horses,  occasionally  directing  a 
sly  glance  of  admiration  at  the  trim  figure  of  his 
lovely  neighbor. 

"Are  you  familiar  with  country  life,  Miss 
Knowles  ?"  Tom  asked,  at  length. 

"  Yes  and  no,"  Nettie  replied,  pleased  to  enter 
into  a  conversation  which  she  knew  not  how  to 
begin.  "Yes,  because,  as  you  remember,  no 
doubt,  our  boarding-school  was  situated  in  the 
outskirts  of  a  country  town ;  and  no,  because,  as 
perhaps  you  do  not  know,  we  were  denied  oppor- 
tunities to  enjoy  what  you  probably  mean  by 
country  life.  But  I  love  the  country,  and  it  cer- 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


59 


tainly  must  be  amusing  and  instructive  to  be  able 
to  study  the  natures  and  manners  of  country 
people,  to  say  nothing  of  nature  herself.  Oh, 
what  a  lovely  view  of  the  water !"  The  wagon 
had  ascended  a  slight  eminence  as  they  turned  a 
bend  in  the  road. 

"  Yes,"  Tom  replied,  slackening  the  speed  of 
the  horses ;  "  and  if  you  will  look  carefully  be- 
tween those  two  high  trees  on  the  right  you  will 
see  one  end  of  Cup  Island,  our  temporary  home. 
A  little  farther  on  to  the  right  you  will  notice 
Oldport,  which  is  recognizable  by  the  steeple  of 
the  little  white  church." 

"  I  think  I  can  see  the  island,  and — yes,  there  is 
the  church-steeple,"  said  Nettie,  turning  immedi- 
ately and  imparting  the  information  to  Belie. 
Chatting  pleasantly  in  this  manner,  they  were  not 
long  in  reaching  Mr.  Sandy's  cottage,  the  quaint 
color  of  which  seemed  to  greatly  amuse  the  ladies. 

Mr.  Sandy's  reception  of  the  party  was  a  little 
shy,  but  cordial. 

Mrs.  Tillottson  was  pleased  with  her  new  quar- 
ters, and  seemed  relieved  that  things  had  turned 
out  so  auspiciously.  Her  sister  seemed  delighted 
to  come  to  her  journey's  end,  and  immediately 
entered  into  a  confidential  chat  with  Mrs.  Sandy. 
It  had  been  planned  that  they  should  all  dine 
at  Mr.  Sandy's,  and  soon  after  their  arrival  they 
assembled  at  table.  The  girls  were  somewhat 


60          A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

surprised  to  find  sitting  opposite  them  the  gentle- 
man and  his  family  they  had  previously  noticed 
upon  the  train. 

"  Mrs.  Tillottson  an'  young  ladies  an1  gents," 
said  Sandy,  clearing  his  throat  with  a  mighty 
effort,  accompanied  by  a  gracious  wave  of  his 
sunburned  hand,  "  allow  me  ter  interduce  yer  ter 
Major  Van  Twist,  Mrs.  Van  Twist,  and  their  dar- 
ter, from  Forestville,  Connecticut."  After  which 
grandiloquent  remark  he  subsided  into  his  seat  at 
the  head  of  the  table. 

"  I  am  happy  to  meet  you,"  said  Mrs.  Tillottson, 
bowing  to  the  Van  Twists. 

The  major  bowed  cordially  in  return  and  ar- 
ranged himself  in  true  military  style  to  reply,  but 
before  he  could  command  words  Mrs.  Van  Twist 
said, — 

"  Mr.  Sandy  informs  me,  madame,  that  your 
young  folks  are  to  camp  for  a  while  on  Cup 
Island.  It  is  somewhat  strange,  but  very  pleasant 
and  opportune,  that  we  should  both  arrive  to-day, 
as  the  major,  my  daughter,  and  myself  are  about 
to  visit  our  cottage  upon  Smoke  Island  for  a  few 
weeks." 

"  It  will  be  very  nice  to  have  such  near  neigh- 
bors, I  am  sure,"  said  Mrs.  Tillottson,  cheerfully. 

"  Why,  that  is  jolly,"  said  Tom,  gayly.  "  It  is, 
indeed,  a  surprise,  and  a  very  agreeable  one." 

"  We   come   here  almost  every  summer,"  said 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          6 1 

Miss  Van  Twist,  "  except  when  mamma  insists 
upon  going  abroad.  For  my  part  I  would  always 
prefer  coming  here ;  it  is  so  stupid,  rushing  about 
on  the  continent  from  one  hotel  to  another  like 
some  restless  travelling  agent,  especially  when  we 
cannot  understand  a  word  that  people  say.  Then, 
too,  the  people  here  are  so  very  amusing ;  such  a 
queer  set." 

,A11  this  was  said  directly  at  Tom,  who  appeared 
to  listen  intently  while  wondering  to  himself  how 
the  girls  would  get  on  with  this  forward  creature 
who  seemed  to  delight  so  in  the  sound  of  her  own 
voice.  Then  noticing  that  Mr.  Sandy  was  appar- 
ently about  to  resent  her  slighting  remarks  about 
the  Oldport  people,  he  said  quickly,  addressing  her 
mother, — 

"  Mrs.  Van  Twist,  if  we,  that  is  Mr.  Stratton  and 
myself,  can  be  of  service  at  any  time  to  you  during 
your  stay  upon  Smoke  Island,  I  trust  you  will 
command  us,  and  I  am  sure  it  will  give  us  great 
pleasure." 

"  Yes,"  said  Jack,  in  his  dry,  pleasing  way ;  "  the 
doctor  and  I  are  both  excellent  cooks,  and  as  a 
housemaid  with  an  enviable  character  I  most  con- 
fidently recommend  my  services;  provided  you 
have  set  tubs  and  the  modern  conveniences,  and 
give  me  Thursdays  and  Sundays  out." 

This  sally  brought  a  smile  to  all  faces  and  a 
roar  from  the  major.  His  wife  alone  maintained 

6 


62          A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

a  serious  demeanor,  being  one  of  those  peculiarly- 
constituted  individuals  who  concentrate  their  men- 
tal forces  so  thoroughly  upon  the  realities  of  life 
that  they  cannot  by  any  moderate  effort  descend 
to  side  issues. 

Then  Belle,  feeling  that  conciliation  might  be 
in  order,  said,  addressing  Mrs.  Van  Twist, — 

"  Mr.  Stratton  and  my  brother  have  been  keep- 
ing bachelor's  hall  for  several  days  at  the  cottage 
upon  Cup  Island,  and  no  doubt  feel  themselves 
capable,  even  with  this  limited  experience,  of 
solving  the  most  intricate  problems  in  domestic 
economy." 

Here  she  cast  a  mischievous  glance  at  Jack, 
who,  not  to  be  put  down  and  ready  for  fun, 
replied, — 

"  Yes,  we  have  made  a  complete  success  of  it, 
as  our  ability  to  invite  such  distinguished  guests 
for  a  prolonged  visit  will  testify.  We  desire  them 
to  witness  our  complete  triumph." 

"And  capture  your  colors,"  said  Nettie,  laugh- 
ing, who  was  now  wrought  up  to  a  conversational 
pitch.  "  We  have  planned  a  campaign,  which,  in 
the  end,  you  will  be  as  ready  to  admire  as  you 
are  now  perhaps  likely  to  ignore." 

"And  we  mean  to  fight  it  out  on  that  line  if  it 
takes  all  summer,"  said  Belle,  hiding  her  laughing 
mouth  behind  a  glass  of  water. 

The  major  enjoyed  the  controversy  immensely. 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          63 

"  If  there  must  be  war,"  he  said,  swelling  up,  as 
he  always  did  when  he  began  to  speak,  "  if  there 
must  be  war,  I  am  from  this  moment  a  willing 
volunteer,  and  will  join  the  forlorn  hope.  We 
will  storm  Cup  Island  together,  young  ladies." 

"  Well,"  said  Tom,  looking  curiously  at  Nettie, 
"  if  you  capture  Cup  Island  by  storm,  do  not  for- 
get that  you  first  landed  upon  its  hospitable  shores 
as-guests  and  in  the  welcome  summer  sunshine." 

"  I  have  heard,"  said  Jack,  persistently,  "  of 
storming  '  rock-ribbed'  fortresses  and  capturing 
hearts  by  siege,  but  who  ever  heard  of  storming 
Paradise  or  Parnassus  or  Cup  Island  by  assault  ?" 

"  In  a  storm,  a  salt  might  do  it,"  said  Tom,  per- 
petrating a  vicious  pun. 

"  Don't  be  alarmed,  ladies,"  said  Jack ;  "  if  the 
doctor  is  unwell  he  can  cure  himself." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Tom  ;  "  I  feel  better  already. 
And  now,  if  the  ladies  will  excuse  us,  perhaps  we 
had  better  transport  their  luggage  over  to  the 
aforesaid  paradise." 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  Belle  ;  "  Nettie  and  I  will  go 
over  first  with  you,  and  then  you  can  return  for 
the  things ;  we  are  dying  to  inspect  the  island." 

"All  right,  then,"  Tom  replied.  "Follow  me 
and  behold  Nirvanna." 

The  whole  party  went  to  see  them  off  at  the 
pier,  and  they  were  soon  scudding  across  the 
water  under  full  sail,  Tom  at  the  helm.  Jack 


64    A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

stood  upon  the  bowsprit  flourishing  his  hat  at 
those  upon  shore,  the  two  girls  made  a  display 
of  linen  handkerchiefs,  and  Bid  sat  near  the  stern 
with  her  lap  and  arms  literally  buried  in  wraps 
and  wearing  apparel.  It  had  been  arranged  for 
Bid  to  stay  upon  the  island  with  them  and  do 
the  heavy  work. 

Their  brilliant  reception  at  the  island  was  a  de- 
lightful surprise  to  the  young  ladies.  Jack  and 
the  doctor  entered  spiritedly  into  the  thing,  singing 
a  song  of  welcome  to  banjo  accompaniment,  set- 
ting off  fire-crackers,  and  delivering  neat  speeches 
of  welcome,  in  which  they  dwelt  enthusiastically 
upon  the  distinguished  characters  and  rare  virtues 
of  the  new  arrivals  and  the  priceless  advantages  of 
their  new  Eldorado. 

After  this  was  all  accomplished  to  their  satisfac- 
tion, the  young  men  started  back  to  Oldport  for 
the  luggage;  and  the  girls,  delighted  at  being 
left  alone  upon  the  island,  immediately  began  an 
exploring  expedition.  They  visited  every  nook 
and  corner  from  North  Rock  to  the  summer-house 
upon  Bogus  Island.  With  this  latter  place  they 
were  delighted,  and  the  tide  being  low  they  crossed 
the  little  cove  with  ease  upon  the  boulders,  which 
were  hardly  wet  with  the  advancing  tide,  Belle 
carrying  her  sketch-book  and  Nettie  her  writing 
materials,  leaving  Bid  at  the  cottage  to  fix  things 
up  and  prepare  supper. 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          65 

Belle  was  soon  interested  in  sketching  an  old 
wreck,  which  lay  upon  a  reef,  and  was  visible  at 
low  tide ;  while  Nettie,  after  a  brief  indulgence  in 
revery,  busied  herself  in  writing  a  long  letter  to 
Mr.  Dexter,  her  uncle,  to  whom  the  news  of  her 
removal  to  Oldport  would  be  fresh.  Thus  occu- 
pied, time  sped  unawares,  until  Belle,  looking  at 
last  at  her  watch,  discovered  that  it  was  after  five 
o'clock. 

"  Why,  Nettie,"  she  exclaimed,  surprised ;  "  I 
did  not  dream  it  so  late.  We  must  return  to  the 
cottage." 

Nettie  acquiesced,  and  gathering  up  their  things 
they  started  to  return ;  but  here  a  difficulty  stared 
them  in  the  face,  and  both  stood  upon  the  shore 
of  the  cove  puzzled,  irresolute,  and  astonished. 
Bogus  Island  was  now  a  genuine  island,  and  they 
were  completely  surrounded  by  water.  The  tide 
had  "  stolen  a  march"  on  them  while  they  were 
enjoying  themselves  in  the  summer-house.  They 
were  prisoners.  What  to  do  they  did  not  know. 
Belle,  with  a  face  paling  with  fright,  turned  to 
Nettie,  and  in  a  trembling  voice  said, — 

"  Nettie,  what  shall  we  do  ?     Let's  scream." 

"  No,"  said  Nettie,  thinking  of  the  young  men. 
"  They  will  think  us  great  geese  if  we  do." 

"  Can  we  not  wade  across  ?"  said  Belle,  in  tones 
of  despair. 

"  But  suppose  they  were  to  return  and  find  us 

e  6* 


66          A   SUMMER   IN   OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

wading  like  a  couple  of  veritable  herons,  we  would 
never  hear  the  last  of  it,"  said  Nettie,  with  a  grim 
smile. 

Nettie's  coolness,  and  the  facetious  vein  of  her 
last  remark,  somewhat  restored  Belle's  equanimity 
at  least  temporarily. 

Meantime,  what  had  become  of  Jack  and  the  doc- 
tor ?  They  had  reached  Oldport  shortly  after  leav- 
ing the  girls,  and  Tom,  anxious  to  receive  his  mail, 
had  been  up  to  the  post-office,  where  he  learned 
that  the  afternoon  train  which  bore  the  mail  was  de- 
layed by  an  accident,  a  freight  train  having  jumped 
the  track,  causing  an  impediment,  which  for  an 
hour  or  so  would  obstruct  all  travel.  Returning 
to  the  boat,  they  decided  that  instead  of  waiting 
they  would  take  a  short  sail  along  the  coast,  per- 
haps catch  a  few  blue-fish  for  breakfast,  then  re- 
turn to  Oldport  for  the  mail  and  the  balance  of 
the  luggage. 

When  they  had  sailed  for  about  an  hour  due 
east  the  wind  died  completely  down,  making  their 
immediate  return  impossible.  Thus  they  were 
compelled  to  wait  until  it  freshened  up  again, 
which  it  did  not  do  for  nearly  three  hours,  making 
the  time  nearly  seven  o'clock  before  they  arrived 
again  at  the  Oldport  pier. 

The  girls  returned  to  the  summer-house  with 
long  faces.  The  tide  was  rising  rapidly,  and  rush- 
ing waters  swiftly  swept  between  the  two  islands, 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


67 


now  rendering  wading  impossible.  There  were  no 
signs  of  the  young  men,  and  they  both  admitted 
that  their  situation  was  somewhat  ludicrous. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  keeps  them  ?"  said 
Belle,  with  a  decided  tremulousness  in  her  voice. 

"  Something  unexpected  has  delayed  them," 
said  Nettie,  striving  to  be  brave.  "  Perhaps  they 
found  that  some  of  the  baggage  was  missing  and 
kSVe  driven  over  to  the  station  for  it.  In  that  case 
they  would  hardly  have  returned  by  this  time." 

Thus,  occasionally  cheering  each  other,  the  two 
girls  waited,  communing  with  their  thoughts,  and 
listening  to  the  noise  of  the  rushing  waters  as  they 
dashed  against  the  rocks,  the  tide  growing  higher 
and  higher. 

They  were  in  full  view  of  the  cottage,  and  Belle, 
whose  eyes  had  been  absently  fixed  upon  it,  sud- 
denly saw  Bid  appear  at  the  door  and  look  in  their 
direction. 

"  There  is  Bid !"  she  quickly  exclaimed.  "  Let  us 
wave  our  handkerchiefs  and  she  will  come  to  us." 

This  they  did ;  but  Bid,  mistaking  their  signals 
of  distress  for  a  friendly  salute,  simply  flourished 
a  towel  which  was  in  her  hand  and  disappeared 
within  the  cottage. 

"  Oh,  dear !"  said  Belle ;  "  how  provoking ;" 
then  screaming  at  the  top  of  her  voice,  "  Bid ! 
oh-h-h  Bid  !  Come  here  quick,  we  want  you  !" 

No  response,  however,  came  from  headquarters, 


68         A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

for  the  distance  was  too  great  for  Belle's  voice  to 
travel,  and  the  wind  was  blowing  toward  them 
from  that  direction. 

Presently,  though,  Bid  appeared  again,  this  time 
walking  directly  toward  them  with  her  calico 
dress  thrown  up  over  the  back  of  her  head,  which 
the  wind  formed  into  a  sort  of  balloon.  Suddenly 
she  paused,  and  the  girls  could  hardly  refrain  from 
laughing  as  they  saw  the  look  of  horror  upon  her 
face,  when,  on  reaching  the  shore,  she  noticed  the 
rushing  water  between  them. 

"  Bid !"  screamed  Belle,  "  where  is  Tom  ?" 

"  Oh,  moi,  moi !  Oh,  moi !"  shouted  Bid,  across 
the  cove.  "  Shure  he's  not  back  at  all ;  but  how 
did  ye's  get  over  the  wather,  anyhow  ?" 

"  The  tide  was  low,"  said  Belle. 

"  The  toide,  was  it  ?"  said  Bid. 

"Yes,"  said  Belle,  "the  tide;  but  now  it  has 
risen  and  caught  us  here.  Bid,  what  shall  we 
do?" 

They  shouted  at  Bid  thus  for  perhaps  half  an 
hour ;  meantime  Belle's  watch  showed  that  it  was 
after  seven  o'clock,  and  the  sun  was  declining 
rapidly  behind  the  western  hills  of  Connecticut. 
Bid,  who  was  nearly  wild  with  fright  at  the  appar- 
ent danger  of  these  two  young  ladies,  who,  to 
her  simple  mind,  were  in  her  sole  charge,  spied  at 
last  the  little  row-boat  moored  to  a  stake  near  her 
on  the  shore,  where  it  had  been  left  by  the  young 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          fa 

men.  In  a  moment  she  had  made  up  her  mind  to 
rescue  her  dear  girls  at  the  risk  of  her  own  life ; 
and  before  they  were  at  all  aware  of  her  intentions, 
she  had  untied  the  painter,  pulled  the  little  boat 
toward  her,  stepped  into  it,  and  with  the  wrong 
end  of  an  oar  was  wildly  trying  to  impel  the  boat 
toward  them.  But  poor  Bid's  skill  did  not  cor- 
respond to  her  noble  impulse.  Unfortunately,  in 
Ike"  methods  of  navigation  her  education  had  been 
wofully  neglected,  and  this  was  her  first  attempt 
to  manage  a  row-boat.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  the 
boat  floated  out  from  the  shore  far  enough  to  catch 
the  strong  flow  of  the  tide,  Bid  and  boat  were 
swiftly  swept  away  from  between  the  islands,  turn- 
ing around  and  around  in  their  uncertain  course 
like  a  feather  in  the  wind. 

The  girls  by  this  time  were  really  alarmed,  for 
here  was  their  last  hope  drifting  away  from  them. 
They  screamed  all  sorts  of  directions  at  Bid,  who, 
apparently  oblivious  to  everything  they  said,  was 
frantically  dashing  the  oar  to  and  fro,  which,  like 
a  straw  in  her  brawny  arms,  splashed  the  water  in 
every  direction,  particularly  her  own. 

"  Put  the  oar  in  the  row-lock !"  yelled  Nettie, 
who  was  herself  a  tolerable  sailor. 

"  Sit  down  on  the  seat  or  you  will  tip  over !" 
screamed  Belle.  "  Oh,  dear !  she  don't  hear  a 
word." 

"  Bid !"  screeched  Nettie,  at  the  top  of  her  voice. 


JQ         A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

This  seemed  to  attract  her  attention,  for  the  poor 
woman  ceased  her  struggles  with  the  elements  and 
turned  toward  them  a  face  as  long  and  woebegone 
as  possible. 

"  Sit  down !"  Nettie  continued,  in  the  same  high 
key. 

Bid  sat  down,  but  with  a  narrow  escape  from 
capsizing. 

"  Now,  Bid,  sit  still ;  you  are  going  with  the 
tide  toward  the  shore ;  when  you  get  near  enough 
you  can  scream  and  attract  the  attention  of  people 
on  the  shore ;"  but  by  this  time  Bid  was  out  of 
distinct  hearing,  and  both  Nettie  and  Belle  were 
thoroughly  alarmed.  Fortunately,  Bid  continued 
to  sit  still.  Let  us  credit  her  with  so  much  good 
judgment.  She  probably  began  to  realize  her 
nautical  incompetency,  and  subdued  her  pride  by 
ruminating  upon  the  frailty  of  man  when  subjected 
to  a  conflict  with  the  raging  elements.  She  was 
now  on  thorough  exhibition.  Occasionally  her 
Hibernian  profile  was  presented  to  the  girls, — her 
low  forehead,  short  but  by  no  means  straight 
nose,  large,  strong  lower  jaws,  and  prominent  lips, 
forcing  her  true  pedigree  upon  them ;  then  her 
full,  mournful,  scared  face  would  drift  into  view, 
causing  their  tender  hearts  to  ache  for  her,  until 
at  last  her  broad,  large-waisted  back  forcibly  re- 
minded them  of  her  native  ability  for  endurance ; 
and  thus  slowly  revolving,  like  the  dressed  wax 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.          ji 

figure  in  a  dressmaker's  window,  she  was  gradu- 
ally drifting  away. 

Tom  and  Jack  meantime  had  just  landed  on  the 
opposite  shore  of  the  island,  and  were  conveying 
their  first  load  of  things  to  the  cottage  in  some 
haste,  as  clouds  were  forming  and  mounting  in  the 
west,  and  they  were  expecting  a  thunder-shower. 
They  were  surprised  to  find  the  cottage  empty. 
They  knocked  upon  the  wall,  thinking  that  the 
girls  were  up-stairs ;  they  shouted,  but  in  vain ;  and 
finally,  after  assuring  themselves  that  the  cottage 
was  deserted,  they  wandered  out  upon  the  island, 
where  they  immediately  spied  them  in  the  summer- 
house  on  Bogus  Island. 

But  the  girls  did  not  return  their  looks.  Their 
gaze  was  riveted  in  another  direction ;  they  were 
intently  looking  shoreward.  The  young  men  fol- 
lowed the  direction  of  their  glances,  and  then,  for 
the  first  time,  saw  poor  Bid  sitting  in  the  little  boat, 
her  face  toward  its  bow,  with  an  oar  lying  help- 
lessly across  her  lap ;  while  the  boat,  with  its  bow 
six  inches  out  of  water,  for  Bid  was  sitting  on  the 
rear  seat,  was  slowly  revolving  on  its  keel  as  ma- 
jestically as  a  balloon  in  mid-air. 

"  Hello !"  shouted  Jack  and  Tom  in  a  breath, 
both  running  at  the  same  time  toward  Bogus 
Island. 

"  Oh,  Tom !"  screamed  Belle,  when  they  were 
within  hearing  distance.  "  Come  quick,  we  have 


72          A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

been  imprisoned  for  hours;  but  first  save  poor 
Bid  ;  save  dear  old  Bid  first !" 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Nettie,  "  do  save  Bid  first." 

Both  young  men  were  by  this  time  doubled  up 
with  laughter.  They  were  convulsed.  Now,  your 
true  heroes  would,  of  course,  have  dashed  reck- 
lessly into  the  billowy  deep,  breasted  the  angry 
waves,  and  rescued  the  beautiful  maidens  at  the 
imminent  risk  of  their  own  sweet  lives ;  but  Jack 
and  the  doctor,  as  we  have  before  stated,  were  not 
true  heroes.  They  did  nothing  of  the  sort.  They 
laughed,  and  the  girls  were  somewhat  reassured 
by  their  hilarity,  for  their  good  sense  told  them 
that  the  young  men  knew  what  they  were  about, 
and  would  not  have  shown  so  much  amusement 
in  the  presence  of  actual  danger. 

"  Boots,"  said  Tom,  as  soon  as  he  could  com- 
mand his  voice  sufficiently,  "  keep  cool  and  we 
will  be  back  in  a  minute."  Then  hastening  with 
Jack  over  to  "  The  Queen,"  they  quickly  cast  her 
off  and  were  briskly  sailing  after  the  nautical 
domestic  in  a  good  breeze. 

Bid  rescued,  which  was  a  matter  soon  accom- 
plished, Tom  took  her  place  in  the  little  boat  and 
pulled  vigorously  for  Bogus  Island,  leaving  Jack 
to  pilot  "  The  Queen." 

At  this  time  great  drops  of  rain  began  to  fall, 
the  sky  darkened  rapidly,  thunder  rumbled  in  the 
distance,  and  the  wind,  which  hitherto  had  been 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


73 


warm  and  moderate,  increased  to  a  stiff  cool  breeze 
which  blew  the  spray  from  the  tops  of  the  small 
waves  in  the  harbor.  Jack  returned  safely  to  Cup 
Island  with  Bid,  while  Tom  rowed  lightly  over 
the  waves  against  the  tide,  having  the  strong  wind 
in  his  favor.  The  girls,  by  the  time  he  reached 
them,  were  thoroughly  wet,  the  summer-house 
proving  a  poor  protection  in  such  a  gale ;  but  they 
<tvere  happy  in  the  knowledge  of  Bid's  safety,  and 
in  the  assurance  of  Tom's  powers.  To  bundle 
them  into  the  boat,  shove  the  boat  across  the  cove, 
and  land  them  upon  the  other  shore  took  Tom 
but  a  short  time ;  but  the  rain  was  now  descending 
in  torrents ;  and  the  loud  cracking  and  booming 
thunder,  preceded  by  vivid  flashes  of  lightning, 
by  no  means  reassured  them  of  complete  safety. 
Tom  quickly  moored  the  boat,  then  running 
after  the  girls,  who  were  by  this  time  half  way 
to  the  cottage,  he  threw  his  coat  over  Nettie, 
who  was  the  least  protected.  They  were  soon 
safely  housed,  looking  like  a  brood  of  very  wet 
chickens. 

Their  drenching  did  them  no  harm,  for  the  air 
was  not  very  cold,  but  bracing.  The  young  ladies, 
rejoicing  in  the  happy  termination  of  their  exciting 
adventure,  were  soon  in  high  spirits,  and  at  supper, 
having  changed  their  apparel,  a  stranger  could  not 
have  perceived  that  anything  had  occurred  to  in- 
terfere with  their  serenity. 


74          A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"  I  told  you  we  would  capture  the  island  by 
storm,"  said  Belle,  gayly. 

"Which  island?"  asked  Jack,  roguishly;  then 
added  quickly,  "  I  notice  by  your  cheeks,  ladies, 
that  you  have  fulfilled  your  threat  regarding 
colors." 

Bid,  who  with  her  customary  stoical  indifference, 
was  now  ready  to  wait  upon  table,  was  asked  by 
the  doctor  how  she  enjoyed  her  sail. 

"Ah,  Misther  Torm,"  said  she,  "shure  an'  were 
it  not  for  you  and  your  good  friend,  it's  the 
loikes  av  me  wud  now  be  tossin'  at  the  bottom  av 
the  moanin'  say." 

Bid  could  not  break  herself  of  the  habit  of  ad- 
dressing the  doctor  as  "  Misther  Torm."  She  had 
been  in  the  family  many  years.  She  was  a  faithful 
soul,  and  ever  after  the  event  which  had  just  hap- 
pened, she  held  to  the  idea  that  Tom  and  Jack  had 
saved  her  from  the  "  moanin'  say."  Perhaps  they 
had,  who  knows?  The  storm,  which  was  now 
fiercely  raging  outside,  had  already  lashed  the 
waters  of  the  harbor  into  angry  waves,  which  in 
such  a  gale  might  easily  have  capsized  the  frail 
boat  and  its  restless  occupant,  and  Bid  was  less 
skilled  in  the  natatorial  science  than  in  that  of 
navigation;  therefore,  perhaps,  she  was  not  un- 
reasonably grateful. 

The  young  ladies  also  felt  a  true  sense  of  se- 
curity and  comfortableness  in  the  presence  of  Tom 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.          75 

and  Jack,  while  the  beating  of  the  rain  upon  the 
windows,  the  occasional  lurid  flashes  of  lightning, 
and  the  roar  of  the  elements  outside,  added  to 
their  feeling  of  safety,  as  they  enjoyed  the  warmth 
of  the  burning  logs  which  crackled  and  blazed 
upon  the  hearth.  They  were  brought,  too, 
into  closer  acquaintanceship  with  the  young  men 
by^.  the  little  adventure  just  related,  which,  of 
course,  effected  more  in  advancing  their  social 
intimacy  than  a  whole  week's  residence  upon  the 
island  might  under  ordinary  circumstances  have 
done. 

The  girls  chatted  incessantly  and  without  re- 
straint. They  talked  of  their  adventure,  of  the 
conveniences  and  inconveniences  of  the  cottage 
which  was  to  be  their  home,  of  their  plans  for  en- 
joyment on  Cup  Island,  of  their  school  experiences, 
in  fact  of  everything  that  seemed  to  pop  into  their 
young  noddles ;  while  the  young  men,  delighted 
with  such  pleasant  companionship,  listened  in- 
tently, now  and  then  dropping  an  encouraging 
word,  or  giving  a  nod  of  approval,  or  deftly 
putting  a  question  to  draw  forth  more  of  such 
delicious  eloquence. 

They  were  a  contented  party ;  and  now  while 
they  still  talk  the  fierce  wind  gradually  dies  away, 
the  heavy  clouds  pass  to  the  south,  and  the  soft 
rays  of  the  mid-summer  moon  light  up  the  scene 
outside  with  a  sweet,  mellow  brilliancy.  Cup 


76         A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

Island  sparkles  with  a  thousand  crystal  reflections, 
and  peacefully  yet  regally  holds  her  head  high 
above  the  still  troubled  waters  of  the  sound. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

John  Beesford  Stratton — Character  Comparisons — Jack's  Letter 
to  Bob  Evans — Belle  and  Nettie  gather  Sea-Mosses,  and  are 
left  by  the  Tide — Mr.  Craik — Another  Rescue — In  Tow. 

JACK  STRATTON,  or  John  Beesford  Stratton  at 
pleasure,  was  in  many  respects  a  genius.  He  was, 
in  the  first  place,  a  natural  born  artist.  There  are 
those,  we  know,  who  deny  such  a  possibility, 
claiming  that  all  talent  or  power  of  accomplish- 
ment is  acquired  by  cultivation.  Nevertheless, 
we  know  that  Jack,  even  as  a  very  young  child, 
evinced  a  strong  natural,  and  without  doubt,  an 
inherited  tendency  toward  art.  We  will  there- 
fore side  with  the  phrenologists,  for  he  unmistaka- 
bly displayed  a  natural  capacity  for  the  artistic, 
and  at  a  very  tender  age.  He  also  possessed  a 
nature  pervaded  by  an  apparently  inexhaustible 
current  of  good  humor.  Craniology  may  here 
again  lay  claim,  for  Jack's  head  certainly  did  have 
a  jolly  cast.  It  was  a  head  to  caress,  like  that  of 
a  faithful  dog.  A  tender  heart  may  be  added  to 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          j-j 

the  attributes  mentioned,  and  we  have  in  Jack 
Stratton  a  man  whose  life  was  certain  to  be  a 
happy  one ;  a  person  in  whose  nature  there  was 
no  room  for  the  world's  perplexities  or  for  anxiety 
about  the  morrow.  Genial,  well-bred,  well-read, 
an  experienced  traveller,  communicative,  yet  a 
good  listener,  handsome  and  young.  What  more 
could  be  asked  ?  He  was  also  a  well-tempered 
/outh,  and  had  been  safely  through  those  inevita- 
ble fires  of  experience  which  either  make  or  ruin 
a  man.  In  his  case  the  metal  left  the  furnace 
brighter  and  purer  for  the  smelting. 

Beneath  that  halo  of  good  nature  which  always 
seemed  to  surround  him,  there  was  a  groundwork 
of  discrimination,  and  for  so  young  a  man,  a  nota- 
bly wise  and  discreet  judgment.  His  love  for  the 
doctor  was  deep-rooted.  In  him  he  saw  a  nature 
true  as  steel ;  and  Tom  returned  his  friendship 
measure  for  measure.  Their  characters,  however, 
were  very  dissimilar.  Tom,  while  he  enjoyed  a 
frolic  as  a  sort  of  recreation  or  refreshment,,  had 
his  serious  moments, — moments  when  the  intri- 
cate and  perplexing  problems  of  life  seemed  to 
flow  into  and  flood  his  soul  with  anxious  thought. 
His  tastes,  too,  were  different ;  where  Jack  saw 
beauty,  Tom  found  a  background  of  true  moral 
worth.  Jack  saw  form ;  Tom  substance.  But 
this  difference  in  their  methods  of  receiving  the 
world's  impressions  served  to  draw  their  natures 

7* 


78          A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

into  a  closer  and  more  sympathetic  companion- 
ship, for  what  one  lacked  the  other  possessed  and 
yielded  freely. 

Their  methods  were  different,  but  were  at  the 
same  time  complementary.  They  were  by  differ- 
ent processes  possessed  of  affectionate  dispositions. 
Jack's  moods  were  spontaneous,  while  Tom's  affec- 
tions seemed  latent,  always  ready  present,  a  matter 
of  permanency,  an  instinctive  possession.  The 
knowledge  which  Stratton  gained  of  men  was 
borne  to  him  through  his  keen  artistic  vision.  He 
was  what  Lavater  would  have  called  a  natural 
physiognomist.  Tom  judged  human  nature  by  a 
different  standard;  he  weighed  mankind  in  the 
scales  of  thoughtful  comparison.  Jack  took  fan- 
cies and  dislikes  at  sight ;  Tom  only  by  lengthened 
acquaintance.  Jack  lived  almost  entirely  in  the 
present,  while  Dr.  Tillottson  revered  the  past,  re- 
joiced in  the  present,  and  reasoned  upon  the 
future.  Yet  with  all  these  differences  they  were 
alike.  Both  were  enthusiastic  in  their  respective 
professions,  both  unselfish  in  their  aspirations. 
They  worked  from  a  love  of  results,  not  recom- 
pense. Jack  sketched  and  painted  because  he 
took  pleasure  in  reproducing  the  wonders  of  na- 
ture, discovering  with  each  progressive  step  in  his 
work  something  new  to  admire.  The  doctor 
healed  the  sick  and  relieved  suffering  humanity 
because  he  loved  to  do  good.  This  zealous  un- 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          yg 

selfishness  served  to  make  them  popular  with 
their  patrons,  and  was  also  instrumental  in  making 
them  more  skilful  in  the  practice  of  their  pro- 
fessions. Thus  at  heart  they  were  affinities. 

After  a  few  days  upon  Cup  Island,  Jack,  who 
had  been  busily  active  every  moment  of  the  time, 
remembered  that  he  had  promised  to  write  to  an 
intimate  friend  in  the  city,  one  Robert  Evans,  a 
brother  artist.  Evans  was  a  young  man  about 
Jack's  age.  They  had  studied  together  in  Flor- 
ence under  the  same  master,  and  had  renewed 
their  intimacy  in  New  York,  to  their  mutual  ad- 
vantage, for  both  gave  good  promise  of  becoming 
famous.  They  were  both  looked  upon  with  favor- 
ing eyes  by  that  portion  of  the  great  public  who 
take  more  than  a  passing  interest  in  the  specialty 
of  painting.  Evans  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  Jack's 
den,  as  he  called  it,  where  the  three  young  men 
enjoyed  many  happy  hours  in  social  chat  and 
festive  communion. 

To  Evans,  then,  Jack,  after  some  struggling  for 
opportunity,  wrote  the  following  amusing  letter : 

"  DEAR  BOB, — Nothing  is  more  difficult,  as  you 
are  probably  well  aware  for  an  artist,  than  to  pause 
in  his  mad  career  to  indite  a  letter;  but  just  a  few 
words  must  I  write  to  Bobbie,  if  only  to  say  '  how 
d'ye,'  or  '  God  bless  you.'  Ah,  my  lad,  I  am  very 
happy, — I  may  say  supremely  so, — and  if  I  had 


go         A  SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

you  within  ear-reach,  I  should  be  strongly  tempted 
to  tell  you  the  cause  of  my  joy.  But  you  must 
not  ask  me.  Silence !  I'm  mum.  No,  no,  though, 
this  won't  do ;  on  reflection,  Robert,  I  relent ;  you 
deserve  better  treatment  at  my  hands  and  can  be 
trusted.  Were  we  not  together  nurtured  in  that 
cradle  of  art,  Florence  ?  and  does  not  our  mother- 
muse  smile  benignly  upon  us  as  twin  daubers  ? 
Indeed,  I  should  be  conscience-smit  did  I  not  share 
my  joys  with  you  as  readily  as  I  would  my  sor- 
rows. Know  ye,  then,  that  the  cause  of  all  my 
present  felicity  is  a  woman.  Now  down  on  your 
knees.  She  is  an  angel. 

Why  do  I  love  this  lassie  so  ? 

This  bonnie  bit  of  a  girl, 
With  golden  hair,  and  eyes  as  fair 

As  the  blue  in  the  heart  of  a  pearl. 

"By  the  way,  Bobbie,  it  is  essential  that  you 
should  understand  that  the  heart  of  a  pearl  is  un- 
mistakably blue. 

"  You  will  be  somewhat  astonished  when  I  in- 
form you  that  our  party  at  the  cottage  here  on 
Cup  Island  has  grown  from  two  to  five  individuals, 
and  more  surprised  when  I  inform  you  that  the 
three  additional  individuals  are  of  the  female  per- 
suasion. It  happened  in  this  way : 

"  Tom's  mother,  being  out  of  health,  has  sought 
the  sea-air  at  Oldport,  where  she,  with  her  sister, 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          gr 

is  comfortably  established.  Her  daughter,  Miss 
Belle,  and  a  friend,  Miss  Knowles,  came  on  with 
them.  Tom's  sister  urged  him  to  allow  her,  with 
her  friend,  to  stop  at  the  cottage  with  him;  so 
here  we  are,  four  of  us,  as  jolly  a  crowd  as  you 
will  seldom  meet  '  Bid,'  Mrs.  Tillottson's  maid, 
is  with  us,  and  makes  an  excellent  cook.  She  has 
th^  ancestral  atmosphere  of  burnt  peat  about  her, 
is  Hibernian  to  the  core,  both  in  brogue  and 
blarney,  and  is  withal  an  indispensable  institution. 
Miss  Knowles  is  a  beauty.  Tom's  sister,  Belle,  is 
divine.  I  mean  it.  We  have  now  been  but  two 
days  together,  yet  the  gavel  has  fallen,  and  I'm  a 
goner.  I  cannot  write  about  anything  else.  Of 
course  she  don't  suspect ;  neither  does  Tom,  dear 
old  chap,  and  I  can't  seem  to  muster  up  courage 
enough  to  tell  him  what  a  terrible  fix  I  am  in. 
What  shall  I  do,  Bobbie  ?  Send  me  some  fatherly 
advice.  I  have  tried  my  level  best  to  throw  off 
the  spell  and  laugh  myself  out  of  it,  but  it  is  no 
use.  There  is  a  sweet  melody  playing  constantly 
upon  my  heart-strings  which  I  cannot  and  will 
not  interrupt,  for  it  attunes  the  routine  of  my  life 
to  a  harmony,  which  stimulates  me  to  better  hopes 
and  deeds ;  and  should  it  cease,  or  should  discord 
intrude,  I  fear  I  could  not  bear  the  strain.  But  I 
must  be  a  man,  and  write  something  of  what  is 
happening  hereabouts. 

"  There  is  another  little  island — Smoke  Island — 


82    A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

within  a  stone's  throw  of  us,  on  which  live  for  the 
summer  a  Major  Van  Twist,  wife  and  daughter, 
with  a  small  retinue  of  three  servants.  The  major 
is  a  jolly  chappie,  rather  below  the  medium  height 
and  above  the  ordinary  breadth, — what  we  call,  in 
broad  English,  stocky.  He  is  a  good  sort  of  a 
fellow,  who  smokes  prime  Havanas,  and  is  given 
to  forty-rod  puns.  His  wife,  who,  I  understand, 
brought  the  major  an  immense  fortune  on  their 
wedding-day,  is  one  of  the  queer  sort.  You  know, 
Bobbie, — one  of  those  peculiar  females  who  think 
a  great  deal  of  their  standing  and  very  little  of 
their  letters.  She  drops  an  occasional  g,  and  is  a 
wholesale  dealer  in  superlatives.  I  haven't  gauged 
the  daughter  yet,  but  she  would  sit  for  a  splendid 
Goddess  of  Liberty.  They  have  a  luxurious  cot- 
tage on  Smoke  Island,  which  rather  throws  our 
modest  affair  in  the  shade.  We  have  the  good 
times,  though.  Yesterday  a  large  yacht  anchored 
in  Oldport  Harbor,  and  the  gentlemen  are  now 
visiting  the  Van  Twists ;  friends  of  theirs,  I  sup- 
pose. Tom  says  that  the  yacht  looks  like  that  of 
Van  Dusen,  the  millionaire, — he  that  paid  me  the 
snug  price  last  year  for  the  Beatrice  picture,  you 
know.  If  it  is  he,  and  he  finds  me  out,  he  will 
be  over  here,  I  suppose.  There  are  four  in  their 
party,  and  one  is  dark  enough  to  be  a  Spaniard. 
Here  comes  Tom  again,  and  he  says  the  yacht  is 
the  'Siren'  (Van  Dusen's,  you  know).  Tom  says 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.  83 

he  just  made  out  the  name  with  the  glass,  and  that 
Van  Dusen  is  related  to  the  Van  Twists. 

"  I  am  sketching  a  fine  old  wreck  here,  and  in- 
tend to  work  up  a  picture  out  of  it  for  the  ex- 
hibition, if  I  am  not  too  much  of  a  wreck  myself. 
Meantime,  I  see  a  certain  face  in  everything  I 
look  at. 

"-There  is  an  abundance  of  material  scattered 
about  here  for  good  work, — odds  and  ends,  you 
know;  queer-looking  farm-houses,  with  the  high, 
old-fashioned  gable  roofs ;  eccentric  characters, 
etc.  Yesterday  we  passed  a  boatload  of  fisher- 
men just  landing  a  net.  Some  of  them  had  on 
red  shirts,  and  their  sea-dog  faces  warm-tinted  by 
the  sun — then  low  in  the  western  sky,  which  made 
a  gorgeous  play  of  red  upon  the  dripping  net  and 
waters — was  a  sight  which  will  haunt  my  memory 
until  I  make  one  of  my  futile  attempts  to  repro- 
duce it. 

"  We  have  two  boats, — a  sloop-rigged  and  a 
row-boat.  The  exercise  of  rowing  is  fine,  and  we 
are  all  benefited  by  it  greatly.  Tom  looks  like  a 
veteran  tar  already.  I  enclose  a  rough  sketch  of 
him,  and  likewise  a  profile  view  of  his  sister.  Is 
it  not  a  wonderful  face  ?  I  caught  the  expression 
on  the  sly  while  she  was  eagerly  watching  a  sea- 
gull catch  a  fish. 

"  By  the  way,  Bob,  please  go  to  White's,  the 
fruit-store  on  the  corner,  and  tell  Mr.  White 


34         A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

to  send  me  a  basket  of  his  best  peaches  every 
week.  She  likes  them.  And  will  you  be  kind 
enough,  old  boy,  to  send  me  Scribble's  last 
novel  ?  She  has  heard  of  it.  I  know  you  too 
well,  Bobbie,  to  fear  that  these  commissions  will 
trouble  you. 
"  Write  soon  to 

"  Your  humble  friend, 

"JACK." 

The  day  following  the  writing  of  this  epistle 
the  girls,  who  understood  rowing,  took  the  little 
boat  with  the  intention  of  making  a  short  visit 
upon  Mrs.  Tillottson,  in  order  to  carry  her  some 
fresh  fish  of  their  own  catching.  After  this  visit 
they  had  planned  to  row  along  the  coast  and 
gather  sea-mosses  for  pressing. 

The  day  was  perfect ;  too  warm  perhaps  inland, 
but  on  the  water,  breeze  enough  was  stirring  to 
make  the  air  comfortable  and  invigorating. 

After  seeing  Mrs.  Tillottson,  presenting  their 
gift  of  fish,  and  receiving  an  assurance  from  Mrs. 
Sandy  that  the  fish  should  be  cooked  with  due 
care,  they  left  Oldport,  and  half  drifted  and  half 
rowed  along  the  coast  with  the  tide  until  they 
came  to  a  sloping,  sandy  beach,  with  here  and 
there  a  cluster  of  huge  black  rocks.  The  tide  was 
going  out,  which  was  favorable  for  their  pursuit, 
so  running  the  boat  ashore  they  were  soon  briskly 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          g$ 

engaged  in  searching  among   the  rocks  and   all 
along  the  beach  for  mosses. 

In  their  enthusiasm  they  had  failed  to  notice 
behind  a  clump  of  rocks,  near  their  landing-place, 
another  boat  about  the  size  of  their  own.  Half 
sitting,  half  reclining  in  the  boat  was  a  man.  A 
Panama  hat  was  drawn  down  over  his  eyes,  but 
enough  of  his  features  were  visible  to  show  that 
he  was  handsome.  His  complexion  was  dark 
enough  to  suggest  Spanish  blood,  which  idea  was 
not  lessened  by  the  appearance  of  his  small 
shapely  feet  and  well-formed,  effeminate  hands. 
His  dress  was  jaunty,  and  not  free  from  an  at- 
tempt at  show,  but  it  fitted  a  figure,  the  pleasing 
proportions  of  which  would  redeem  almost  any 
inconsistency  of  cut  or  quality.  At  first  glance 
the  very  boat  itself  seemed  to  borrow  dash  and 
buoyancy  from  its  occupant.  There  are  indi- 
viduals who,  until  we  know  them  and  have 
weighed  their  character,  seem  to  lend  beauty  or 
grace  to  whatever  they  draw  near  to  or  touch  by 
their  perfection  of  manner  and  figure. 

Such  a  person  was  this  man ;  and  as  he  now 
sits  erect  and  pushes  back  his  hat,  we  see  a  face  so 
pervaded  by  the  lines  of  beauty  that  we  involun- 
tarily admire.  A  dark,  symmetrically  curled 
moustache  covers  his  upper  lip,  and  handsome 
regular  teeth  are  brought  in  sight  as  he  murmurs 
something  to  himself.  Let  us  listen  to  his  words: 

8 


86          A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"  What  an  idiot  I  was  to  leave  New  York  to 
coop  myself  up  in  that  jackass's  yacht.  I  ought 
to  have  known  better.  They  say  he  is  a  million- 
aire, but  devil  take  him,  he  won't  stake  anything. 
I  tried  him  last  night  again  by  all  the  arts  I 
possess,  and  after  toddy,  too ;  but  he  won't  drink 
much,  and  a  straight  game  of  euchre  is  all  he 
seems  to  care  or  know  anything  about,  and  not  a 

d cent  would  he  stake  on  the  game.  As  for 

the  others  they  are  N.G.  One  a  parson  with  his 
prayer-meetings  and  gibberish,  and  the  other  with 
nothing  to  talk  about  but  bugs  and  fish,  and  such 
nonsense.  If  I  didn't  think  it  might  lead  to  some- 
thing rich  I  would  skip  back  to  New  York  and 
leave  the  whole  crowd.  I  wonder  what  keeps 
Van  Dusen  so  long.  He  said  he  was  only  going 
up  to  that  farm-house  on  an  errand  and  would  be 
back  in  ten  minutes.  He  has  been  away  now 
nearly  an  hour." 

He  now  stood  up  in  the  boat  in  order  to  get  an 
unobstructed  view  of  the  farm-house.  As  he  did 
so  he  saw  Van  Dusen  a  short  distance  from  him 
on  the  beach  in  conversation  with  two  young 
ladies.  Stepping  quickly  out  of  the  boat  he 
walked  leisurely  toward  them.  Van  Dusen  saw 
him  approaching,  and,  when  near  enough,  said  with 
a  gracious  wave  of  the  hand  in  his  direction, — 

"  Ladies,  allow  me  to  introduce  my  friend,  Mr. 
Craik." 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          gy 

Then  in  turn  introducing  the  ladies  to  Mr. 
Craik,  he  continued, — 

"You  have  arrived  most  opportunely,  for  we 
must  assist  in  delivering  these  ladies  from  rather 
an  unfortunate  dilemma.  They  have  been  gather- 
ing mosses  along  the  shore,  and  during  their  ab- 
sence their  boat  has  been  left  high  and  dry  by  the 

tide-" 

*  "Certainly,  it  will  give  me  great  pleasure  to  be 
of  service  to  the  ladies,"  said  Craik,  with  one  of 
his  fascinating  smiles. 

"  No,  no,"  he  continued,  "  please  do  not  exert 
yourself."  This  to  Belle,  who  offered  to  help  them 
with  the  boat.  "  We  can  easily  do  it  alone." 

They  soon  pushed  the  boat  over  the  deep  sand 
into  the  water,  and  Craik,  stepping  into  it,  guided 
it  alongside  of  a  flat  rock  from  which  it  was  easy 
for  the  girls  to  embark.  Thanking  the  gentlemen 
for  their  kindness,  the  girls,  who  were  now  safely 
seated,  took  up  the  oars  and  were  soon  industri- 
ously pulling  for  home. 

"  How  strange,"  said  Belle,  presently,  "  that  we 
should  meet  them  here,  and  in  such  a  plight. 
What  a  handsome  man  that  Mr.  Craik  is.  He  is 
certainly  the  best  looking  and  most  graceful  man 
I  ever  saw." 

Nettie  was  silent,  but  presently  she  said,  quietly, — 

"  He  certainly  is  very  good  looking,  but  there  is 
something  about  him  which  I  do  not  like ;  I  can- 


88          A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

not  describe  it,  and  perhaps  if  I  had  met  him  alone 
I  might  not  have  been  so  impressed ;  but  the  con- 
trast is  so  great,  there  is  such  a  striking  difference 
between  himself  and  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  who,  as 
millionaires  go,  is  apparently  a  very  nice  man,  that 
I  was  struck  by  it,  and  I  certainly  think  Mr.  Craik 
suffers  by  the  comparison.  He  does  not  look  one 
in  the  eye  frankly." 

"  His  manner  seemed  perfect  to  me,"  said 
Belle,  "  and  he  was  the  personification  of  grace- 
fulness." 

"  Well,  perhaps  I  am  mistaken,"  said  Nettie ; 
"  but  I  never  shall  like  him,  of  that  I  feel  sure. 
Why,  what  is  the  matter  with  the  boat  ?  we  have 
gained  but  very  little  distance  since  we  started,  and 
see,  we  are  drifting  away  from  the  shore  fast." 

"  It  must  be  the  wind  and  tide,"  said  Belle. 
"  Oh,  dear,  I  am  frightened.  Why  did  we  come 
so  far  away  from  Cup  Island  ?  Tom  will  not  like 
it ;  but  see,  Nettie,  the  gentlemen  see  us.  They 
evidently  understand  our  predicament,  and  will 
help  us." 

"  Craik,"  said  Van  Dusen,  after  the  girls  had 
rowed  and  drifted  out  of  hearing,  "  those  are  two 
fine-looking  girls ;  about  as  pretty  as  I  ever  saw." 

"By  Jove,  you  are  right,"  responded  Craik. 
"  Where  in  the  deuce  did  you  meet  them  ?" 

"  I  never  met  Miss  Knowles  before ;  Miss  Til- 
lottson  I  saw  at  the  Academy  exhibition  last  fall. 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          §9 

I  know  her  brother,  Dr.  Tillottson,  very  well. 
Miss  Tillottson  tells  me  they  are  camping  on  the 
little  island,  Cup  Island  I  think  they  call  it,  near 
where  we  are  anchored.  She  says  her  brother,  the 
doctor,  and  a  friend  of  his  by  the  name  of  Stratton, 
are  with  them.  I  wonder  if  it  is  Stratton,  the 
artist  ?" 

JHere  an  exclamation  from  Craik  arrested  his 
Attention. 

"  They  are  not  making  any  headway !  See,  they 
are  drifting  out  with  the  strong  tide !" 

"  So  they  are,"  said  Van  Dusen.  "  We  must 
help  them ;  we  will  row  to  their  assistance." 

This  they  proceeded  at  once  to  do.  It  did  not 
take  them  long  to  reach  the  boat  in  which  the  girls 
were  so  unfortunately  drifting,  and  taking  their 
painter,  they  were  soon  slowly  towing  them  in  the 
proper  direction.  After  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes, 
however,  of  hard  pulling,  they  had  made  but  little 
progress,  and  were  glad  to  see  a  sail-boat  bearing 
down  upon  them  from  a  distance.  It  contained 
Tom  and  Jack,  who  were  returning  from  a  fishing 
excursion,  on  which  they  had  started  in  the  early 
morning.  As  they  drew  near  they  recognized  the 
girls  by  their  dress  and  began  to  shout, — 

"  Hello,  there,"  roared  Jack.     "  Ship  ahoy." 

"  Hello  yourself,"  shouted  Van  Dusen,  in  a 
good-natured  way.  "  Hurry  up  here  and  give  us 

a  lift,  will  you  ?" 

8* 


QO         A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"  That  is  Van  Dusen,"  said  Tom.  "  I  know  his 
voice.  Yes,  they  are  towing  the  girls." 

"  Don't  swing  around  too  near  them,"  said  Jack ; 
but  the  caution  was  unnecessary,  for  Tom  rounded 
neatly  up  to  Van  Dusen's  boat,  and  the  whole 
party  were  soon  on  board  of  "  The  Queen,"  with 
their  two  boats  in  tow. 

The  story  of  their  misfortunes  was  soon  told  by 
the  girls  while  they  were  bowling  along  toward 
home  under  full  canvas. 

"  I  am  greatly  indebted  to  you,  I  am  sure,"  said 
Tom,  addressing  Van  Dusen,  "  for  your  kindness 
to  these  ladies." 

"Oh,  not  at  all,  not  at  all,"  said  Van  Dusen, 
heartily ;  "  don't  mention  it.  You  see  I  have  been 
on  a  short  foraging  expedition,  looking  up  some 
nice  butter  and  eggs  and  spring  chickens.  I'm 
about  to  give  a  spread  on  Sunday  on  board  of  the 
'  Siren,'  and  I  have  been  making  sure  of  provisions 
enough  up  there  at  the  old  farm-house.  By  the 
way,  why  can't  you  all  come  over  to-morrow  and 
dine  with  us  ?  Plain  Sunday  spread,  you  know ; 
nothing  very  fancy  or  elaborate,  but  truly  whole- 
some,— ha !  ha !  like  the  air  here.  The  Van  Twists 
are  coming." 

"Thank  you,"  said  Tom,  "most  happy;"  and 
the  others  bowed  their  acceptance. 

"Well,  then,  I'll  tell  Bolser"— Bolser  was  the 
cook — "  to  put  on  some  extra  plates ;  shall  I  hope 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          gi 

to  see  your  mother  and  aunt,  doctor?     Delighted 
to  have  them.     Plenty  of  room." 

"  No,  thank  you,"  said  Tom  ;  "  mother  is  hardly 
able  yet  to  dine  out,  and,  besides,  you  know,  she 
must  attend  church,  come  what  may." 

"  Yes,  I  know  these  old  ladies,"  said  Van  Dusen ; 
"and  it's  all  right.  Bless  their  dear  souls,  they 
kejjp  us  poor  sinners  straight !" 
*  Arriving  at  Cup  Island,  Craik  and  Van  Dusen, 
declining  an  invitation  from  Belle  to  walk  up  to  the 
cottage,  soon  took  their  departure,  Van  Dusen  as 
he  stepped  into  his  boat  reminding  them  of  their 
promise  to  meet  the  following  day  and  stating  that 
they  would  dine  at  two.  The  sun  was  high  in  the 
meridian,  and  the  party  were  correspondingly  high 
in  spirits,  as  they  ascended  toward  the  cottage. 
Bid  stood  at  the  door  in  a  clean  white  apron,  her 
ruddy  face  beaming  with  a  broad  smile  of  welcome, 
which  argued  a  good  warm  dinner,  for  which  their 
adventures  had  well  prepared  them. 


92          A    SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


CHAPTER    V. 

An  Interview  with  Mr.  Beegum — The  Incubator — A  Letter  from 
Bob  Evans — Fun  in  a  Studio — Bid  proves  her  Superior  Tact — 
A  short  Sketch  of  Aunt  Deborah — Puritan  Ancestry. 

LIFE  at  Cup  Island  was  by  no  means  eventless 
or  monotonous.  Our  little  party  was  always  busy. 
Sometimes  they  boarded  "The  Queen"  for  a  fishing 
excursion,  lasting  perhaps  all  day ;  or,  the  weather 
being  propitious,  they  would  go  for  a  long  sail  up 
or  down  the  coast,  taking  Bid  along  to  cook  for 
them.  On  such  occasions  they  would  land  where 
the  beach  was  sandy,  build  a  fire,  spread  a  cloth 
upon  the  clean  white  sand,  and  enjoy  repasts, 
which  Bid  and  the  girls  well  knew  how  to  pro- 
duce. Sometimes  they  would  visit  one  or  another 
of  the  many  little  villages  scattered  along  the  Con- 
necticut shore,  when  they  would  take  opportunity 
to  replenish  their  stock  of  provisions,  or  whatever 
they  needed  in  the  way  of  supplies.  They  visited 
Oldport  often,  soon  becoming  well  acquainted  with 
the  majority  of  its  inhabitants.  While  they  were 
there  on  one  occasion,  Jack  and  the  doctor,  leav- 
ing the  girls  with  Mrs.  Tillottson,  strolled  up  the 
road  in  search  of  a  man  named  Beegum,  who  they 
had  heard  offered  chickens  for  sale.  Mr.  Beegum, 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


93 


they  were  informed,  lived  a  mile  or  so  northwest 
of  the  village,  in  a  shanty  just  at  the  base  of  a  high 
hill,  which  was  pointed  out  to  them  at  the  Sandy 
cottage.  Beegum,  or  Bigum,  as  his  neighbors 
called  him,  was  a  widower  and  lived  alone.  He 
had  never  been  what  might  be  called  a  pecuniarily 
successful  man,  though  there  had  been  a  time 
years  before  when  he  had  inherited  a  considerable 
property.  He  was,  however,  in  imagination,  a 
man  of  wealth,  and  sanguine  to  an  astonishing  de- 
gree. He  had  sacrificed  piece  by  piece  and  little 
by  little  all  that  he  formerly  possessed  in  futile 
attempts  to  carry  out  his  plans.  Reverses,  how- 
ever, had  by  no  means  shaken  a  firm  faith  in  his 
ability  to  scheme  and  execute.  "  Trust  Beegum 
for  that,"  he  would  say  when  his  method  of  effect- 
ing some  impossibility  was  questioned.  His  mar- 
ried life  had  been  happy,  because  the  simple- 
minded,  trusting  little  woman  who  shared  his 
fortunes  believed  in  him  implicitly,  and,  although 
she  saw  his  plans  fail  one  by  one,  as  regularly 
and  surely  as  they  were  made,  and  his  property 
slip  away  from  him  as  a  certain  result,  until  he 
was  absolutely  penniless,  she  died  at  last,  as  she 
had  lived,  his  foremost  champion  and  the  uncom- 
plaining sharer  of  his  defeats.  Beegum  was  now 
about  sixty  years  of  age ;  but  years  never  had 
brought  him  to  that  turning-point  of  careers,  when 
an  unfortunate  but  sanguine  man  begins  to  mis- 


94 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


trust  himself,  or  to  suspect  a  weak  spot  in  his  own 
mental  economy. 

The  young  men  found  him  at  home.  He  re- 
sponded in  person  to  their  summons.  Short  in 
stature  almost  to  dwarfishness,  with  a  head  un- 
usually large,  a  long,  swaying  body  upon  short, 
bowed  legs,  and  a  face  which  never  seemed  at 
rest,  he  was  an  individual  who  seemed  to  have 
jumped  from  boyhood  to  old  age  in  a  single 
night,  taking  with  him  the  form,  size,  and,  in 
some  respects,  the  actions  of  extreme  youthful- 
ness. 

"  Is  Mr.  Beegum  at  home  ?"  said  Tom,  politely. 

"  Well,  ruther,  I  should  say,"  said  the  little  man, 
smiling  broadly.  "  That's  me,  gents ;  that's  me. 
Come  right  in.  I've  been  sorter  spectin'  ye  fer  a 
week  or  so.  Of  course,  you're  come  to  see  my 
incubator  ?  I  knew  my  last  letter  'd  fetch  yer.  I 
tell  you  what,  it's  a  good  thing,  an'  there's  piles 
of  spondulix  in  it." 

He  led  them  into  a  small  front  room,  keeping 
up  a  running  fire  of  words. 

"  Set  down,  set  down,  both  on  ye,"  said  he,  "  an' 
I'll  explain  the  workin'  of  the  tarnal  thing  to  ye. 
I  tell  you,  gents,  it  hez  taken  brains  to  get  that 
thing  untangled.  Yer  see,  too  much  heat  kills 
'em  in  the  shell,  and  not  enough  heat  kills  'em 
the  same  way  by  slow  degrees,  and " 

"  I  understand  that  you  have  chickens  for  sale  ?" 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          95 

said  Tom,  who  had  been  striving  to  get  in  a  word 
edgeways  for  some  minutes. 

"Yes;  oh,  yes;  but,  you  see,  I'm  on'y  workin' 
a  bit  of  a  model  now  of  the  incubator,  and  that 
on'y  turns  out  from  seven  to  a  dozen  a  week. 
Why,  sir,  what  do  you  think  of  two  hundred  an' 
fifty  a  day,  or  fifteen  to  seventeen  hundred  a  week, 
makin',  say,  at  a  small  calkerlation,  ninety  thou- 
sa.»d  two-legged  chickens  a  year  ?  Oh,  I  tell  you, 
thar's  money  in  it.  I  can  feel  it  right  now  atween 
these  ole  fingers,  but  I  must  have  money  to  git  it 
under  way ;  and  it  was  reel  good  of  yer  to  come 
to-day.  I'll  show  yer  my  plans,  an'  then  you'll 
be  sure  to  want  ter  invest  a  few  hundred  dollars 
in  such  a  good  thing.  As  I  said,  I've  been  ex- 
pectin'  yer  fer  a  week  or  so.  When  did  you  leave 
New  York  ?  That's  a  big  place,  isn't  it  ?  How 
they  would  stare  and  crowd  around  a  windy  in 
Broadway  to  see  my  incubator  a-hatchin'  out  a 
chicken  every  five  minutes  !  You  better  believe 
they  would." 

Here  he  chuckled  to  himself  at  the  thought, 
and  Tom,  who  now  saw  his  golden  opportunity, 
said,  with  an  effort  to  keep  a  straight  face, — 

"  Mr.  Beegum,  you  are  mistaken.  We  are  per- 
fect strangers  to  you,  and  stopping  here  near  Old- 
port  for  the  summer.  We  simply  called  upon  you 
to  purchase  a  few  live  chickens." 

"  An'  ain't  you  neither  on  yer  chicken-dealers  ? 


C>6          A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

An'  ain't  yer  name  Higgins  ?"  asked  poor  Beegum, 
with  a  sort  of  groan. 

"No,  sir,"  said  Tom.  "We  want  to  eat  the 
chickens." 

"  Well,  bless  my  soul !"  said  Beegum,  trying 
nobly  to  cover  up  his  disappointment.  "  I  al- 
lowed yer  was  men  from  New  York  that  I've 
been  a'writin'  to  about  my  incubator.  But  jest 
let  me  show  you  my  plans.  Here  yer  see  is  the 
heater,  which  I  feed  with  this  six-wicked  coal-ile 
burner;  an'  here  I'm  going  to  put  a  wire-nettin', 
which  tempers  an'  spreads  the  heat  as  it  rises  into 
this  cock-loft  above." 

"  Yes,"  said  Tom,  firmly ;  "  but  we  have  ladies 
waiting  for  us  in  the  village,  Mr.  Beegum,  and 
will  be  compelled  to  leave  you.  Perhaps  some 
other  time  we  will  be  able  to  listen  to  your  plans 
and  look  at  your  drawings.  Now  we  must  go, 
unless  you  can  sell  us  a  dozen  chickens  right 
away." 

Beegum  looked  appealingly  at  Jack  a  moment, 
but  seeing  the  same  look  of  determination  upon 
his  face,  and  that  they  were  fully  decided  to  de- 
part, he  became  suddenly  as  deeply  interested  in 
the  sale  of  his  chickens  as  he  had  been  in  his 
prospective  incubator,  and,  after  a  little  dickering, 
sold  them  a  dozen  fine  hens,  which  he  promised 
to  deliver  to  Mr.  Sandy  in  the  morning,  and,  es- 
corting them  to  the  road,  was  profuse  in  his  invi- 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          97 

tations  for  them  to  come  soon  again  and  investi- 
gate his  plans  for  a  model  incubator,  which  would 
turn  out  over  ninety  thousand  chickens  a  year 
and  surprise  the  world.  There  they  left  him  ges- 
ticulating at  the  gate  as  they  walked  back  to- 
ward Oldport,  restraining  their  hilarity  until  they 
reached  a  convenient  bend  in  the  road.  At  the 
post-office  Jack  received,  among  his  letters,  one 
from  his  friend  Robert  Evans,  in  reply  to  his, 
which  we  have  read.  It  was  written  in  a  style 
characteristic  of  Evans,  and  was  so  thoroughly 
enjoyed  by  Jack  that  we  will  indulge  the  reader 
with  its  contents : 

"  MY  DEAR  STRATTON, — Though  it  is  insuffera- 
bly hot  in  town,  here  I  am  just  as  I  have  been  all 
summer,  sweltering  in  my  little  attic  room,  with 
the  mercury  somewhere  up  in  the  nineties.  Yes- 
terday it  dallied  around  ninety-four  in  the  shady 
shadow  of  my  protecting  roof-tree,  and  your  humble 
servant  came  within  a  peg  or  two  of  melting.  To- 
day it  seems  even  warmer,  so  I  am  sitting  neglige, 
in  my  lofty  apartment,  with  windows  and  doors 
open  wooing  the  breezes,  which,  by  the  way,  don't 
woo  worth  a  cent.  It  is  too  hot  to  eat,  drink,  or 
be  merry;  and  as  I  breakfasted  late,  I  don't  ex- 
pect a  sign  of  an  appetite  to  dawn  upon  my  gas- 
tronomical  horizon  before  night  brings  me  a  dimi- 
nution of  caloric.  Thank  your  lucky  stars,  my 
*  9  9 


pg          A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

boy,  that  you  are  away  from  brick  and  mortar 
and  this  superlatively  Hottentottish  climate.  I 
had  the  peaches  sent  as  you  directed  and  Scrib- 
bles' last  agony.  I  would  do  more  than  this  for 
admiration  of  the  sweet  face  which  you  sent  me. 
Allons!  You  are  indeed  a  lucky  dog  to  have 
Cup  Island  so  quickly  converted  into  a  paradise. 
I  have  a  strong  mind  to  run  down  there  and  cut 
you  out. 

"  Advice  ?  Well,  you  are  a  '  chicken.'  How 
can  you  expect  a  susceptible,  inexperienced  young 
flip  like  myself  to  send  you  advice  ? 

"  The  boys  at  college,  just  before  a  race,  used 
to  say  to  me, '  Now,  Bobbie,  go  in  and  win.'  I 
would  recommend  the  same  advice  to  you,  did  I 
not  know  that  you  will  do  it  any  way.  Phaint 
heart  never  won  phair  lady  you  know.  I  am 
digging  away  as  usual,  and  have  nearly  finished 
the  miser  picture.  Old  Cripps,  the  model,  poor 
old  beggar,  went  sound  asleep  yesterday  while  I 
was  getting  in  some  neat  work  on  his  immaculate 
garments.  Lawton  came  in,  full  of  the  old  Harry 
as  usual,  and  we  decorated  old  Cripps  while  he 
innocently  slumbered.  We  put  a  two-quart  tin 
pail  on  his  head,  tied  a  clothes-line  about  his  neck, 
attaching  the  free  end  to  my  sleeping  dog,  Bruno. 
Lawton  then  placed  the  skeleton  gently  in  Cripps's 
lap,  and  dropped  a  few  No.  8  shot  into  his  boots. 
We  then  rolled  the  big  mirror  up  in  front  of  him, 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.          gg 

and  watched  his  expression  as  we  brought  him  to 
consciousness  by  stirring  up  Bruno  to  the  tune  of 
'  rats.' 

"  It  would  stagger  a  Shakespeare  or  a  Hugo 
to  describe  the  results  of  that  experiment  Cripps 
certainly  thought  death  held  him  an  unwilling 
captive.  I  enclose  a  modified  sketch  of  him 
as  he  appeared  in  death's  embrace.  Poor  old 
Gnpps.  Lawton  gave  him  a  fiver  for  his  fright, 
and  he  hobbled  off  on  the  No.  8  shot,  thinking, 
probably,  that  fright  had  brought  on  a  sudden  case 
of  bunions. 

"  Tell  Tom  I  dropped  around  to  his  den  yester- 
day, and  Baker,  M.D.,  was  in  good  spirits  and. 
seemed  to  be  doing  nicely.  I  shall  be  glad  when 
you  boys  get  back  to  Gotham.  For  heaven's 
sake,  Jack,  don't  perpetrate  any  more  rheumatic 
rhythm  ;  the  weather  is  too  warm,  and,  besides,  it 
is  a  bad  symptom.  Tom  will  tell  you  that  Bloom- 
ingdale  has  been  reinforced  for  milder  offences 
against  sanity  than  that.  No  sane  soul  ever  in- 
sisted that  the  heart  of  a  pearl  was  blue. 

"  Take  my  advice,  boy ;  stick  to  your  brush, 
and  let  Milton  and  Longfellow  sleep  in  peace. 

"  Now  I'll  shut  the  doors  and  take  a  snooze,  for 
this  temperature  does  not  encourage  wakefulness. 
Good-by,  Jacob.  Regards  to  Tom. 

"  Yours,  as  ever,  BOB. 

"  P.S. — Be  brave,  old  chap,  be  brave." 


IOO       A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

The  following  day,  about  noon,  Sandy  rowed 
over  to  Cup  Island,  carrying  the  dozen  hens  which 
he  had  tied  in  pairs  by  their  feet. 

"Whar  d'ye  want  'em,  Dorkter?"  said  he  to 
Tom,  who  with  Jack  stood  on  the  landing. 

Now  it  was  a  fact  that  neither  Jack  nor  Tom  had 
thought  of  this  problem  since  the  purchase  of  the 
birds ;  but  Tom,  not  wishing  to  betray  their  im- 
providence, told  Sandy,  in  an  easy  way,  to  let 
them  loose  upon  the  island,  as  they  were  neither 
web-footed  nor  fleet  of  wing. 

"  I  reckon  ye'll  have  a  time  ketchin'  on  'em, 
Dorkter,"  said  Sandy ;  "  fur  a  hen  is  a  lively  critter 
when  you  want  her  for  cookin'  purposes."  Saying 
which  he  released  the  hens  by  cutting  the  cords 
which  secured  them,  and  tossed  them  lightly 
upon  the  sand.  The  fowl,  after  looking  about  in 
a  dazed  sort  of  way,  shaking  out  their  rumpled 
plumage  and  stretching  their  cramped  limbs,  be- 
gan to  pick  their  way  over  the  rocks  in  a  digni- 
fied but  uncertain  manner  toward  a  patch  of 
ground  which  seemed  to  promise  them  a  scanty 
breakfast. 

"I  brought  ye  over  a  peck  o'  corn  an'  a  few 
pounds  o'  meal  fur  the  chicks,"  said  Sandy,  laying 
them  out  upon  the  beach ;  "  an'  I  reckon  they'd  fat 
up  quicker  ef  they  was  cooped  up.  I  allus  fats 
mine  in  the  dark."  With  which  good  advice  he 
rowed  away  toward  Oldport,  with  that  easy  but 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.        IOI 

effective  swing  of  the  oars  which  is  common  to 
boatmen. 

"  Let  us  have  broiled  chicken  for  dinner  to- 
morrow," said  Tom  to  Jack  and  the  girls,  who 
with  Bid  had  gathered  at  the  pier  to  witness  the 
landing  of  the  pilgrims. 

"  Shure,  an'  ye'll  be  afther  catchin'  a  coople  o' 
'era-  now  thin,  an'  choppin'  the  heads  off  av  the 
poor  dears,"  said  Bid,  who  was  also  standing  upon 
the  pier. 

This  was  a  contingency  which  now  occurred  to 
the  young  men  for  the  first  time  and  with  sinking 
hearts.  But  they  had  handled  wild  duck  when 
alive  and  wounded,  and  they  were  not  to  be  put 
out  by  such  a  little  thing  as  the  slaughter  of  a 
hen,  so  Jack  said,  cheerfully, — 

"All  right,  Bid,"  and  proceeded  at  once  to 
carry  out  her  suggestion.  The  hens,  however, 
were  unusually  shy,  for  when  Jack  approached 
they  ambled  off  away  from  him  uttering  notes  of 
alarm. 

"I  will  head  them  off,"  said  Tom,  suiting  the 
action  to  the  word ;  but  the  birds  scattered  indis- 
criminately about  as  soon  as  they  perceived  them- 
selves between  two  enemies,  wildly  half  flew  and 
ran  in  all  directions,  filling  the  air  with  their  cack- 
lings,  and  showing  by  their  tactics  that  they  were 
well  up  in  warfare  of  this  nature.  Jack  and  Tom, 
however,  were  not  to  be  outgeneralled  in  this  way; 

9* 


IO2       A    SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

so,  after  a  short  consultation,  during  which  there 
was  a  decided  expression  of  interest  visible  upon 
the  faces  of  the  female  witnesses,  they  each  singled 
out  a  victim  and  started  confidently  in  hot  pursuit. 
Over  rocks  and  under  bushes  they  went,  sometimes 
so  exasperatingly  near  the  objects  of  their  chase 
that  they  would  stretch  forth  an  expectant  hand, 
when,  alas  !  in  a  trice  and  by  an  artful  dodge,  the 
hens  would  put  rods  of  distance  between  them. 
Finally,  the  hens  one  after  another  flew  up  into  the 
neighboring  trees,  and  the  young  men  were  obliged 
to  give  up  the  chase  and  acknowledge  themselves 
defeated. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Belle,  as  they  all  returned 
to  the  cottage,  "  we  can  easily  do  without  the 
broiled  chickens." 

There  was,  however,  a  mischievous  look  in  her 
eyes  as  she  glanced  toward  Nettie,  and  the  young 
men  noticed  that  the  same  mysterious  expression 
pervaded  the  faces  of  Nettie  and  Bid.  Jack,  who 
felt  desperate,  sat  for  a  little  while  in  a  brown 
study  and  soon  afterward  was  seen  taking  down 
his  gun. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?"  said  Tom. 

"  I  think  I  will  go  gunning,"  said  Jack,  with  a 
determined  look;  "and  if  I  do  not  have  pretty 
good  luck,  I'm  mistaken." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Stratton,  please  do  not  shoot  the  poor, 
dear  chickens,"  said  Belle,  pleadingly. 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"  Rather  tame  sport  for  a  hunter  of  reputation," 
said  Tom,  laughing  uneasily. 

"  Well,  it  would  be  rather  a  barbarous  way  to 
obtain  a  brace  of  domestic  fowl,"  said  Jack,  at 
the  same  time  carefully  putting  up  his  gun. 

"Shure,  Misther  Torm,"  said  Bid,  "wud  yes 
give  me  a  bit  o'  the  male,  an'  oi  wud  be  afther 
bringing  yes  a  coople  o'  thim  fowls  in  a  jiffy." 
*  Tom  gave  her  the  meal-bag,  and  soon  Bid  was 
hurrying  over  the  ground  in  the  direction  of  the 
hens,  who  were  now  peacefully  scratching  for  a 
living  at  a  distance. 

"  Chook  !  chook  !  chook !"  said  Bid,  walking 
slower  as  she  neared  them.  The  hens  looked  up, 
but  did  not  appear  frightened  at  sight  of  a  female. 
Bid  rattled  the  spoon  upon  the  tin  pan  in  which 
she  had  mixed  the  meal  into  a  sort  of  hasty-pud- 
ding with  hot  water.  The  hens  appeared  to  know 
that  breakfast  was  ready,  and  did  not  offer  to  run. 
Bid  approached  them  now  very  slowly,  stirring 
the  meal  and  talking  soothingly  to  the  hens. 
When  quite  near  them  she  dexterously  threw 
upon  the  ground  a  little  of  the  moist  meal.  There 
was  an  immediate  scramble  among  the  fowl  to  see 
who  would  get  the  first  bite,  during  which  Bid 
quietly  squatted  upon  the  ground,  at  the  same 
time  throwing  a  little  more  of  the  meal  quite  near 
to  her.  The  hens  approached  fearlessly ;  in  fact, 
they  rushed  directly  at  the  meal.  Then  Bid  quietly 


104 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


held  the  spoon  with  some  meal  in  it  so  that  by 
craning  out  their  necks  they  could  reach  it.  After 
the  first  mouthful  or  two  they  crowded  around 
the  spoon,  eating  voraciously.  Two  or  three  of 
the  hens  were  more  eager  than  the  others,  or 
more  fearless,  and  as  Bid  placed  the  pan  down 
upon  the  ground  close  beside  her  they  immedi- 
ately pounced  upon  it,  their  example  being  soon 
followed  by  nearly  the  whole  flock.  This  gave 
Bid  her  well-earned  opportunity,  and  quickly  seiz- 
ing two  fat  hens  by  their  legs,  she  arose  and  bore 
them,  squawking  and  flapping  their  wings,  tri- 
umphantly to  the  cottage. 

"  Sure,  an*  'tis  aisy  'nuff,  wud  ye  be  gintle  wid 
'em,"  she  said,  nonchalantly,  in  reply  to  their  con- 
gratulations ;  and  a  few  moments  later  she  was  sit- 
ting upon  a  rock  at  the  rear  of  the  cottage  indus- 
triously denuding  the  hens  of  their  feathers,  while 
Nettie  and  Belle  audibly  discussed  the  superiority 
of  woman  in  an  emergency  where  great  tact  and 
discretion  were  essential,  much  to  the  discomfiture 
or,  perhaps  we  should  say,  to  the  entertainment  of 
Jack  and  the  doctor. 

Meantime,  Mrs.Tillottson's  condition  was  rapidly 
improving  at  the  Sandy  cottage.  Her  life  there, 
although  not  eventless,  was  rather  a  lonesome  one. 
Her  sister's  company  was  not  satisfying  to  her. 
They  were  so  unlike  in  many  respects.  Early  in 
life  circumstances  had  drifted  them  away  from 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        Ioe 

each  other.  Deborah  Tremane  never  in  any  way 
resembled  her  sweet  sister  Mary ;  and  now,  when 
the  years  had  wrought  so  many  changes  and  fate 
had  again  brought  them  together,  it  was  not 
strange  that  the  loving  social  ties  of  sisterhood 
had  weakened  by  disuse. 

Deborah  had  never  married.  The  reasons  for 
this  were  obvious;  always  provided  with  those 
ct>mforts  which  make  home  pleasant,  and  leading 
a  life  without  a  thought  of  the  future,  she  had 
naturally  not  entertained  notions  of  matrimony. 
Brought  up  in  the  country,  where  she  saw  little 
of  society,  she  interested  herself  mostly  with  those 
things  which  floated  under  her  direct  observation. 
In  many  respects  she  was  an  excellent  house- 
keeper. Warm-hearted,  in  a  spontaneous  sense, 
she  never  was  at  a  loss  either  for  words  or  action. 
Unlike  Mary,  her  sister,  she  was  very  plain  in  ap- 
pearance and  rather  simple  in  mind,  which  latter 
deformity  had  never  stimulated  her  to  a  thorough 
cultivation  of  her  naturally  limited  mental  possi- 
bilities. 

While  Mary  was  at  finishing  school,  receiving 
the  polish  which  was  to  aid  her  through  life,  De- 
borah was  content  to  help  their  good  mother  at 
housekeeping,  or  to  ride  galloping  about  the 
country  on  their  dun-colored  cob,  gathering  bits 
of  news  or  gossiping  with  the  neighbors.  Thus 
it  happened  that  Deborah  grew  up  into  woman- 


IO6       A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

hood  a  sort  of  good-natured  ignoramus,  but  at 
the  same  time  as  facile  of  tongue  as  it  is  possible 
to  conceive.  Perhaps  this  extreme  loquacious- 
ness had  saved  her  from  matrimonial  fetters ;  cer- 
tain it  is  that,  although  young  men  showed  a  de- 
cided preference  for  her  good  mother's  apples 
and  cider,  and  though  they  always  appeared  glad 
of  Deborah's  society,  there  never  was  one  glad 
enough  to  ask  her  for  a  life-interest  in  it. 

So  when  her  sister  Mary  married  and  left  the 
homestead,  Deborah  stayed  on,  the  same  chatty, 
thoughtless  creature,  until  one  day  her  mother 
died  and  left  her  alone  a  comparatively  old  woman 
and  without  home-ties. 

After  the  funeral,  her  sister  Mary  had  lovingly 
put  her  arms  about  her,  and  offered  to  share  her 
home.  So  the  old  house  was  closed,  and  Deborah 
Tremane  became  a  permanent  member  of  the  Til- 
lottson  family.  She  was  short  of  stature,  of 
lightish  complexion,  and  possessed  a  face  which, 
although  by  no  means  handsome,  marked  her  as 
a  woman  of  good  motive  and  kindly  disposition. 

"  Sister  Mary,"  she  said  one  day  to  Mrs.  Tillott- 
son,  after  the  girls  had  made  their  customary  visit, 
"  don't  you  think  we'd  both  on  us  feel  a  sight 
easier  if  we  was  with  Belle  and  the  rest  on  Cup 
Island  ?  I  mean  if  we  was  there  all  the  time ; 
not  but  what  it  is  nice  here,  an'  I'm  sure  we're 
both  growing  strong  and  fat,  for  Mrs.  Sandy  is  an 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


ID/ 


awful  nice  cook,  an'  knows  a  thing  or  two  'bout 
housekeeping;  but  if  we  was  on  the  island  we 
would  not  be  so  much  alone  as  we  are  here,  an' 
we  could  have  an  eye  out  for  the  comfort  of  those 
young  folks.  Bid  is  a  good  girl  enough,  but, 
law  sakes,  what  does  she  know  about  them 
youngsters  ?" 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,  Deborah,"  said  Mrs.  Til- 
lottsbn ;  "  I  hardly  think  there  would  be  room  for 
so  many  in  that  little  cottage.  However,  we  will 
go  over  and  investigate  some  day,  and  if  they  all 
think  it  is  feasible  we  will  try  it." 

"  Yes,  that's  it,"  said  Deborah  ;  "  we  will  go 
over  an'  see ;  an'  if  it  is  possible  to  squeeze  us  in 
there,  I  think  we  will  feel  easier  an'  more  sociable- 
like  than  we  do  here;  although  I've  nothing  to 
say  agin  Mrs.  Sandy,  who  is  a  mighty  clever, 
home-like  sort  of  a  body.  She  knows  I  want  to 
go  over  to  the  island  to  live,  for  I  told  her.  Here 
she  comes  now.  Now,  Mrs.  Sandy,  we  was  just 
talkin'  it  over  'bout  goin'  over  to  Cup  Island  to 
live  with  the  young  folks.  Of  course  you  know, 
as  I  was  tellin'  you  afore,  that  we  ain't  dissatisfied 
here  at  all,  only  I  was  jest  a-tellin'  my  sister  it  would 
be  more  like  home  to  be  with  the  children  ;  an'  you 
know  them  gals  haven't  any  one  to  look  after 
them  but  two  boys  an'  Bid,  who  knows  more 
'bout  nursin'  than  she  does  about  the  wants  of 
two  young  ladies." 


IO8       A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"Well,  if  you  think  you'd  be  comfortable- 
like  over  there,"  said  Mrs.  Sandy,  "  I'm  sure  I 
should  go  if  I  was  you,  though  goodness  knows  I 
like  well  'nough  to  have  you  stay  here  as  long 
as  you  feel  like  it.  I  was  a-tellin'  Sam  to-day 
that  I  never  had  city  folks  here  before  who  made 
so  little  trouble ;  for  generally  when  they  come  it's 
all  fuss  an'  feathers." 

"  Well,  if  we  is  city  folks,"  said  Deborah,  with 
a  clear  accent  and  a  position  a  little  more  erect, — 
"  if  we  is  city  folks,  we  know  what's  what,  an'  we 
don't  want  to  put  folks  as  ain't  city  folks  to  any 
trouble  or  bother  that  can  be  helped;  do  we, 
Mary  ?" 

But  Mary  had  quietly  departed,  as  was  her  cus- 
tom when  such  conversations  were  taking  place. 

It  was  somewhat  of  a  trial  to  Mrs.  Tillottson  to 
have  a  rustic  sister  so  constantly  with  her ;  but  she 
was  too  heroic  to  put  an  end  to  it  by  separation, 
and,  on  the  whole,  she  took  an  inward  pleasure  in 
the  sacrifice  of  her  feelings.  Mrs.  Tillottson  was 
one  of  those  thoughtful  women  who,  although 
they  possess  a  modicum  of  family  pride,  recognize 
the  fact  that  few  families  when  viewed  through  a 
long  line  of  New  England  ancestry  fail  to  develop 
instances  here  and  there  of  the  tape-measuring 
element,  and  although  her  own  progenitors  were, 
from  her  father,  who  was  a  man  of  the  cloth,  to  the 
primeval  ancestor  who  stepped  off  of  the  "  May- 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


109 


flower,"  all  professional  men,  she  was  liberal  enough 
in  her  feelings  to  concede  an  equality  of  excellence 
in  others  so  long  as  they  kept  up  the  essential 
social  requisites  of  morality  and  politeness.  In- 
deed, it  was  prominently  apparent  that  her  sister 
Deborah  Tremane  possessed  much  more  of  what 
is  called  family  pride  than  Mrs.  Tillottson.  Deb- 
orah never  lost  an  opportunity  to  bring  this  sub- 
ject clearly  before  an  indulgent  listener. 

"  As  far  as  money  goes,"  she  would  say,  "  I  know 
our  folks  don't  take  the  lead,  though  we  always 
had  a  roof  to  cover  our  heads  and  everything  that 
ordinary  folks  needs  to  make  'em  comfortable ; 
but  when  it  comes  to  pedigree,  we  can  hold  up  our 
heads  as  high  as  any  of  'em,  for  from  Michael 
Tremane,  who  first  come  over  in  the  '  Mayflower,' 
to  my  dear  father  who  was  a  preacher  of  the  gos- 
pel, our  men  folks  have  all  been  leaders,  doctors, 
lawyers,  and  sich.  Sometime  I  will  show  you 
some  of  the  letters  which  my  great-grandfather, 
who  was  a  surgin  in  the  army  under  George  Wash- 
ington during  the  revolutionary  war, — I  say  I  will 
show  you  some  of  the  letters  he  writ  home  to  his 
wife,  Melindy.  They  are  the  sweetest,  nicest  writ 
letters  I  ever  read,  an'  writ  in  them  heathen  times, 
too ;  it  is  really  wonderful." 

10 


IIO       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

A  Letter  from  Rome — Adam  Dexter's  Grief — A  Severe  Shock — 
Tom  and  Nettie  become  Metaphysical — Jack's  Idea  of  Flor- 
ence— Natural  Physiognomists. 

ADAM  DEXTER,  Nettie's  uncle,  sat  in  his  cool 
breakfast-room  on  the  25th  of  July,  calmly  looking 
over  his  mail.  One  by  one  he  read  the  letters 
before  him,  pausing  now  and  then  to  comment 
upon  them  to  himself.  He  had  nearly  finished 
when  he  noticed  one  which  bore  a  foreign  stamp 
and  post-mark.  Opening  it  with  some  curiosity, 
he  read  as  follows  : 

"  ROME,  ITALY,  June  — ,  18 — . 
"  MR.  ADAM  DEXTER  : 

"  My  Dear  Sir, — Prepare  yourself  for  most 
startling  news  of  your  long-lost  son.  Painful  as 
the  duty  is,  it  devolves  upon  me  to  inform  you  of 
his  recent  death.  This  duty  is  made  doubly 
painful  and  distressing  to  me  from  the  fact  that  he 
was  my  best,  my  dearest  friend.  He  confided  to 
me  just  before  his  death  the  particulars  of  his 
quarrel  with  you  so  many  years  ago,  how  he  left 
your  home  in  a  moment  of  passion  and  indigna- 
tion never  to  return,  and  with  tearful  eyes  he 
poured  this  unfortunate  story  of  his  youth  into  my 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        ni 

ears.  He  said  that  the  recollection  of  your  last 
unnatural  words  to  him  had  often  killed  his  re- 
newed intention  to  return  to  your  roof  and  ask 
your  forgiveness. 

"  Ah,  sir,  you  could  not  have  known  the  pure 
gold  in  his  heart  when  you  so  coldly  and  cruelly 
drove  him  from  you. 

"  His  death  was  a  sad  and  most  unfortunate  one. 
frlear,  I  may  say,  he  was  murdered.  It  happened 
in  the  following  manner : 

"  Your  son,  known  here  as  Dexter  Rogers,  was 
attending  a  ball  given  by  the  Countess  Finnotti. 
He  was  a  great  favorite  with  the  Countess,  who  is 
one  of  our  most  cultivated  and  esteemed  women. 

"  He  was  seldom  absent  from  her  receptions, 
and  was  always  willing  and  ready  to  aid  her  in 
pleasing  and  entertaining  her  guests.  It  was  at 
one  of  these  receptions  that  he  received  his  death- 
wound.  It  seems  that  one  Antoinne  De  Lacey,  a 
man  of  very  pleasing  manners  and  great  personal 
attractions  to  ladies,  was  one  of  the  invited  guests. 
I  have  since  learned  that  this  man  is  an  adventurer 
and  a  scoundrel ;  that  he  made  his  entree  into  our 
society  by  means  of  forged  letters  of  introduction. 
On  this  particular  evening  at  the  entertainment, 
he,  for  some  reason,  appeared  to  become  heated 
with  wine  and  to  lose  control  of  himself,  offending 
several  ladies,  and  finally,  grossly  insulting  the 
Countess  herself.  Roger,  who  happened  to  be 


H2       A   SUMMER  77V  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

standing  near,  remonstrated  with  him,  attempting 
to  lead  him  away.  At  this,  De  Lacey,  becoming 
enraged,  struck  Roger,  who,  finding  that  he  must 
defend  himself,  knocked  the  rascal  down. 

"  Struggling  to  his  feet  again,  however,  De 
Lacey  drew  a  pistol  and  fired,  the  shot  taking 
effect  in  your  son's  breast. 

"  During  the  confusion  which  immediately  en- 
sued the  villain  escaped. 

"  It  has  since  developed  that  the  whole  fracas 
was  an  imbroglio  planned  by  several  desperadoes 
to  rob  the  apartments  of  the  Countess.  This  was 
thoroughly  done  during  the  intense  excitement 
which  followed  the  shooting.  At  first  we  thought 
that  your  son  was  not  seriously  injured,  he  laugh- 
ing at  the  wound,  assuring  his  friends  that  it  was 
trivial,  and  walking  without  assistance  to  his  car- 
riage ;  but  there  was  difficulty  in  finding  the  bul- 
let, which  had  found  lodgment  in  the  joint  of  his 
shoulder,  and  after  a  few  days  a  serious  fever  set 
in,  and  Roger  was  delirious.  He  was  even  then 
not  considered  seriously  wounded  by  his  physi- 
cians ;  but  his  condition,  week  after  week,  became 
gradually  worse,  until,  after  two  months  of  in- 
tense suffering,  but  heroic  endurance,  he  died. 
His  physicians  disagreed  as  to  the  actual  cause 
of  his  death,  one  stating  his  opinion  that  it  was 
blood-poisoning,  and  the  other  two  maintaining 
that  he  had  contracted  a  malignant  fever. 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"We  were  partners  in  the  same  banking-busi- 
ness ;  and  I  am  glad  to  say  that  he  has  been  very 
fortunate  in  all  of  his  business  ventures.  You  are, 
of  course,  aware  that  the  firm  of  Wigand  &  Rog- 
ers is,  and  has  been  for  some  years,  the  leading 
banking-house  in  Italy.  Your  son  has,  by  pru- 
dence, good  judgment,  and  judicious  management, 
accumulated  great  wealth.  This  fortune,  which 
will  probably  amount  to  half  a  million  in  your 
money,  he  has  left,  unconditionally,  by  will,  to 
his  cousin,  Miss  Knowles,  of  whose  welfare  and 
movements,  as  well  as  your  own,  he  has  kept 
himself  fully  informed  during  his  residence  in 
Italy.  I  enclose  a  letter  written  by  him  to  his 
cousin,  informing  her  of  his  desire  to  make  her 
his  heir.  He  informed  me  that  you  were  finan- 
cially independent,  and  would  be  pleased  that 
your  niece  should  be  sole  heir  to  his  valuable 
estate.  I  enclose  a  photograph  of  the  deceased, 
my  dear  sir,  and  the  address  of  his  attorney  here, 
with  whom  you  can  immediately  communicate 
with  reference  to  prompt  settlement.  The  re- 
mains of  my  beloved  friend  I  have  had  carefully 
embalmed,  and  they  await  your  direction.  I  also 
enclose  a  likeness  of  the  scoundrel,  De  Lacey, 
who  was  probably  the  cause  of  your  son's  un- 
fortunate and  early  death,  thinking  that  possibly 
he  may  have  taken  flight  to  America,  and  that  it 
may  lead  to  his  detection  and  capture.  He  may 
h  10* 


H4       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

easily  be  identified  by  a  peculiar  deformity  of  the 
little  finger  of  his  right  hand,  which  he  is  unable 
to  close  or  bend, — that  is,  when  he  closes  his 
right  hand  this  one  finger  remains  extended,  and 
is  therefore  conspicuous.  I  am  informed  by  the 
police  that  in  England  he  was  known  as  '  James 
Bolan/  or  '  Gentleman  Jim ;'  that  he  is  by  no 
means  a  common  scoundrel,  but  can  deceive  the 
most  cultured  people  by  his  grace  of  manner, 
gentlemanly  bearing,  and  wily  tongue. 

"  Now,  my  dear  sir,  let  me  again  assure  you 
that  you  have  my  heartfelt  sympathy,  and  kindest 
hopes  that  you  may  be  able  to  bear  this  terrible 
blow  with  courage. 

"  Most  respectfully  yours, 

"  MOSES  WIGAND." 

Can  you  imagine,  dear  reader,  the  intensity  of 
suffering  and  shame  which  this  letter  brought  to 
Adam  Dexter  ?  In  a  moment  of  passion  he  had 
denounced  his  youthful  son  as  unworthy  of  him ; 
and  with  a  fierce  curse  had  sent  him  from  his 
presence,  never,  alas  !  to  see  him  again  alive.  The 
offence  of  the  boy  was  a  severe  one,  to  be  sure,  for 
he  had  spoken  falsely ;  but  the  punishment — ah — 
that  was  what  was  now  racking  the  father's  long- 
suffering  heart  as  he  pictured  his  only  son  dying 
in  a  foreign  land,  and  then  realized  what  might 
have  been.  He  sat  for  an  hour  with  his  head 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        n^ 

upon  the  table  weeping  like  a  child.  The  ser- 
vants came  in  and  passed  out  again  respectfully, 
not  wishing  or  daring  to  disturb  such  grief.  He 
had  long  since  repented  his  treatment  of  his  boy 
Roger;  in  fact,  before  he  had  been  absent  two 
days  he  had  scoured  the  immediate  country  for 
him,  afterward  advertising  far  and  wide,  and  finally 
he^had  sought  him  himself  over  the  world.  But 
itoger  for  several  years  was  at  sea  and  never 
knew  of  his  father's  desire  to  forgive  and  be  for- 
given. 

Nettie  had  in  some  measure  compensated  for 
Roger's  absence,  taking  the  boy's  place  in  the 
father's  affections ;  and  he  had  at  last  persuaded 
himself  that  Roger  was  dead  and  therefore  out 
of  trouble.  Nettie,  however,  knew  that  on  every 
anniversary  of  Roger's  birth  his  father  spent  the 
entire  day  in  his  room,  and  such  was  the  nature 
of  his  grief  that  for  several  days  after  these  annual 
events  he  was,  although  tender  and  gentle  with 
her,  absent-minded,  and  irritable  with  strangers 
and  the  servants.  The  same  instinctive  tenacity, 
which  kept  the  son  away,  gnawed  at  the  heart  of 
the  father  in  the  shape  of  the  painful  consciousness 
that  he  had  been  terribly  unjust. 

With  Nettie  it  was  different.  At  first  she  seemed 
unconsolable,  and  her  sorrow,  though  paroxysmal, 
was  acute ;  but  as  the  months  and  years  rolled  by 
and  the  memories  of  Roger  were  always  pleasant, 


H6       A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

she  grew  to  look  upon  him  almost  as  a  pleasing 
creation  of  the  imagination,  seldom  thinking  of 
him  as  a  reality.  Thus  does  time  discriminate. 
With  the  guilty  it  creates  remorse  and  uncouth 
images  which  fester  in  the  recollection ;  while  to 
the  innocent  it  stretches  forth  a  caressing  hand, 
the  soft  strokes  of  which  smooth  out  the  wrinkles 
of  care  and  mellow  all  that  is  grievous  to 
memory. 

At  last  one  of  the  maids,  becoming  alarmed  and 
a  little  impatient  at  Mr.  Dexter's  long  silence, 
approached  him  and  said  in  a  respectful  manner, — 

"  Shall  I  remove  the  things,  sir?" 

Receiving  no  response,  she  repeated  the  inquiry 
in  a  louder  voice ;  still  getting  no  reply,  she  be- 
came frightened  and  called  the  other  servants, 
who  soon  discovered  that  their  employer  was  per- 
fectly helpless.  They  removed  him  gently  to  his 
room  and  bed,  immediately  summoning  the  family 
physician,  who  at  once  pronounced  the  trouble  to 
be  a  severe  shock  of  paralysis.  For  several  days 
he  lay  almost  lifeless,  but  breathing  regularly, 
otherwise  showing  no  power;  at  last,  however, 
after  much  care  and  attention  from  his  physician 
he  seemed  able  to  slightly  move  his  arms  and 
hands.  This  was  a  joyful  moment  to  him,  as  he 
was  very  desirous  to  impart  some  information  to 
his  physician,  and  was  unable  to  utter  a  word  of 
speech.  At  the  end  of  a  week  he  indicated  by 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

signs  that  he  wanted  writing-materials,  and  when 
these  were  given  him  he  managed  with  much 
difficulty  and  in  a  cramped  hand  to  write  that  he 
did  not  wish  his  condition  made  known  to  his 
niece  until  later  in  the  season,  as  he  did  not  desire 
to  mar  the  enjoyment  of  her  visit  with  her  friends. 
He  said  that  he  hoped  and  expected  to  recover 
enough  to  lessen  the  shock,  which  the  knowledge 
of  his  affliction  would  give  her.  Thus  it  happened 
that  Nettie  did  not  receive  either  news  of  her 
uncle's  illness,  of  Roger's  death,  or  of  her  own 
good  fortune  in  becoming  his  heir,  until  several 
weeks  afterward.  She  entered  into  all  of  the 
sports  at  Cup  Island,  and  gave  herself  wholly  to 
the  festivities  of  the  hour. 

The  day  following  the  adventure  upon  the  beach 
was  Sunday.  It  was  a  perfect  day,  and  during 
the  long  morning  hours  the  party  of  four  sat  in 
the  summer-house  or  lounged  about  the  island. 
Belle  had  an  interesting  book,  which  she  persuaded 
Jack  to  read  aloud  to  her,  while  Nettie  and  Tom 
gathered  shells  along  the  shore,  chatting  intelli- 
gently about  the  many  things  which  are  sure  to 
find  their  way  to  the  surface  of  such  minds  as 
theirs. 

"  How  strange,"  said  Nettie ;  "  how  very  strange 
is  the  life  of  a  fish.  Suppose,  for  instance,  that  I 
were  a  fish  and  had  the  same  power  of  thought 
which  I  now  possess ;  I  would  behold  with  amaze- 


1Tg       A    SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

ment  the  creatures  who  could  live  out  of  water. 
I  would  look  upon  them  as  ethereal  beings,  or  as 
I  should  recognize  angels  or  ghosts,  should  they 
appear  to  me  now.  I  think  I  would  not,  were  I 
a  fish,  envy  such  beings  their  existence  who  could 
live  and  breathe  out  of  water.  Perhaps,  in  my 
estimation,  I  would  place  them  upon  a  lower  plane 
than  my  own,  since  they  were  incapable  of  doing 
as  I  did." 

"  If  you  were  a  fish,"  said  Tom,  laughing,  "  I 
am  certain  that  I  would  turn  fisherman,  and  would 
never  be  contented  until  I  had  used  every  avail- 
able means  known  to  fishermen,  by  hook  or  by 
crook,  to  catch  you." 

"  You  overlook  an  important  feature  of  my  sup- 
position," said  Nettie,  with  a  bland  smile,  "  which 
was,  that  in  addition  to  being  a  fish  I  should  have 
the  same  power  of  thought  which  I  now  possess." 

"  Granted,"  said  the  doctor,  gayly ;  "  but  my  bait 
would  be  the  bait  of  human  kindness ;  my  line 
and  hook  would  simulate  other  charming  qualities, 
which  would  surely  catch  the  hungry  eye  of"  such 
a  fish." 

"After  which  I  should  be  a  pitiful,  one-eyed 
fish,"  laughed  Nettie.  "  Oh,  that  would  be  cruel. 
But,  seriously,  if  you  were  a  fish,  and  at  the  same 
time  had  the  intelligence  which  is  now  your  right, 
what  think  you  would  be  your  impressions  of  the 
aerial  world  of  living  creatures  ?" 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"  That  depends,"  said  Tom,  seriously,  and  with 
great  deliberation,  "  upon  what  creatures  or  crea- 
ture passed  before  my  piscatorial  vision.  Now,  if 
I  saw  you,  for  instance " 

"  No,  no,"  said  Nettie,  interrupting  him  a  little 
impatiently ;  "  answer  me  seriously.  You  know  I 
do  not  fish  for  compliments,  and  it  is  almost  cruel 
for  ..you  to  so  misconstrue  the  object  of  my  ques- 
tion." 

Tom  sobered  down  instantly,  and,  in  an  earnest 
tone  and  a  manner  worthy  of  a  true  philosopher, 
said, — 

"  If  I  were  what  you  supposed, — which  of  course 
would  be  impossible, — I  should  lose  my  faith  in  a 
kind  Creator.  I  would  be  a  man  in  desire,  affec- 
tions, intelligence,  ambition, — all  of  those  mental 
and  moral  qualities  which  men  possess, — yet  con- 
fined, by  the  decree  of  my  Creator,  within  the  dis- 
graceful possibilities  of  a  fish.  I  would  see  human 
beings  doing  what  I  desired  to  do,  acting  as  I  de- 
sired to  act,  living  as  I  desired  to  live,  yet  would 
be  but  a  fish  with  a  fish's  limited  power.  I  should 
curse  myself  and  try  to  die.  But,  by  the  kind  dis- 
pensation of  divine  Providence,  such  cruelties  are 
not  permitted.  Animals  always  possess  intelli- 
gence in  proportionate  harmony  with  the  tenor  of 
their  existence;  were  it  otherwise,  chaos  would 
usurp  the  place  of  order  or  acting  natural  laws. 

"  An  oyster   is   as    happy  in  oysterdom  as   a 


12Q       A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

Christian  in  Christendom,  because  he  realizes 
only  those  things  which  regulate  his  existence 
as  an  oyster.  This  intelligent  faculty  in  animals 
and  plants  is  called  instinct,  and  differs  from  that 
of  man  by  virtue  of  the  fact  that  man  possesses 
free-will;  and  to  admit  this  latter  assertion  em- 
phatically presupposes  a  future  life  for  man.  So 
now,  you  see,  Miss  Knowles,  you  have  succeeded 
in  getting  me,  in  spite  of  myself,  into  deep  water 
by  your  hint  that  I  might  be  a  fish." 

"  I  am  pleased  with  your  reply,"  said  Nettie, 
repentantly;  "  for  you  have  touched  upon  a  subject 
which  has  long  deeply  interested  me,  and  which  I, 
too,  acknowledge  is  beyond  my  depth." 

"  Better  become  a  fish,  like  myself,"  said  Tom, 
quickly.  "  We  fish  like  deep  water." 

"  No,  thank  you,"  replied  Nettie ;  "  not  with 
human  intelligence.  It  seems  to  me  we  have 
enough  trouble  as  human  beings  without  adding 
the  dreadful  condition  which  you  have  just  pic- 
tured." 

"  But,"  continued  Tom,  "  we  are  so  constituted, 
by  affection  and  intelligence,  that  we  can  over- 
come trouble ;  the  fish  has  no  trouble,  because  he 
has  no  capacity  to  suffer." 

"  Are  not  the  small  fish  in  danger  of  being  de- 
voured by  the  large  ?"  she  asked. 

"  Yes,"  said  Tom,  thoughtfully ;  "  but  can  they 
not  seek  the  shallow  water  for  protection  ?  Their 


A   SUMMER  IN   OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        I2i 

limited  brain-power  prevents  their  brooding  over 
trouble.  The  pickerel  or  the  trout  is  so  ravenous 
by  nature  that  he  will  snap  at  new  bait  while  the 
wound  of  a  hook  is  fresh,  or  perhaps  the  hook 
itself  is  hanging  in  his  jaw.  They  hardly  reason 
from  cause  to  effect ;  some  animals  seem  to  pos- 
sess this  power,  though  even  they  are  unable  to 
syllogize.  A  crow  will  avoid  a  man  who  carries 
a"  gun,  but  if  the  man  disguises  himself  as  a 
female,  the  crow,  although  still  shy,  will  permit 
much  nearer  approach,  even  though  the  gun  is 
still  in  sight.  A  fox  will  avoid  one  kind  of  trap 
to  step  cautiously  into  another  with  which  he  is 
not  so  familiar. 

"  I  once  knew  of  a  horse,  owned  by  a  pious 
farmer,  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  taking  the 
family  to  church  on  Sunday  for  many  years.  The 
road  to  the  church  was  a  branch  of  the  main  road 
to  the  village.  On  week-days  the  horse  would 
never  voluntarily  go  down  the  church-road;  but 
on  a  Sabbath,  without  the  slightest  hint  from  the 
reins  or  his  master,  he  would  turn  dutifully  down 
the  road  which  led  to  church.  Did  he  know  by 
the  tolling  of  the  church-bell  that  his  duty  led 
him  in  that  direction  on  Sunday  ? 

"  Most  probably,  because  on  one  week-day  as 

his  master  was  driving  him  to  the  village  the  bell 

was    ringing,  and  the   old   horse   quietly  turned 

down  the  road  to  church,  as  a  matter  of  course. 

v  ii 


122       A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

Until  this  last  incident  occurred  the  simple  people 
to  whom  he  belonged  gave  the  horse  credit  for 
possessing  an  intelligence  to  which  he  was  not 
fairly  entitled.  They  thought  he  could  distin- 
guish between  a  Sabbath-  and  a  week-day  by 
counting  the  days. 

"  Lower  animals  do  not  reason  intelligently, 
but  merely  exercise  that  modicum  of  instinct 
which  their  simple  lives  demand ;  hence  their 
sufferings  are  by  no  means  poignant. 

"  Nature — animal  (excepting  man),  vegetable, 
and  mineral — resembles  a  huge  machine.  It  has 
many  parts,  but  each  part  has  its  specific  duty  to 
perform,  and  would  be  useless  elsewhere.  A  bird 
would  make  a  sorry  fish ;  a  serpent  would  make  a 
despicable  flower.  Man  has  power  over  all  the 
fish  of  the  sea,  fowl  of  the  air,  and  over  every 
living  thing  that  moves,  because  he  is  made  in 
the  image  and  likeness  of  God ;  but  man,  unlike 
these  animate  things  of  nature,  has  free-will ;  thus 
is  the  image  and  likeness  made  more  perfect. 
If  he  exercises  this  power  of  free-determination 
rightly,  care,  suffering,  trouble,  anxiety  are  all 
impossible  to  him.  Of  course,  this  would  be  the 
picture  of  a  perfect  man  (Adam  before  the  fall). 
But  men  are  not  perfect ;  they  have  perverted  the 
image  and  likeness  to  God,  and  therefore  have 
suffering  and  troubles.  A  delicate  prismatic  glass 
globe  is  a  beautiful  thing,  and  has  its  uses ;  but 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

if  we  use  it  for  a  foot-ball  it  loses  its  usefulness 
at  the  first  kick.  It  is  in  a  similar  way  that  men 
pervert  their  freedom.  Free-will  is  God-likeness; 
it  is  the  one  sublime  faculty  which  makes  man 
noble ;  but  it  must  be  used  like  the  glass  globe, 
— properly;  pervert  it,  and  men,  who  otherwise 
would  be  angels,  become  devils. 
fX  In  this  simple  truth  lies  the  secret  of  life." 

"  Oh,  thanks ;  many,  many  thanks,  Dr.  Tillott- 
son,"  said  Nettie,  enthusiastically,  her  beautiful 
eyes  radiant  with  pleasure  and  gratitude.  "  The 
problem  of  living  is  clearer  to  me  now  than  it  ever 
has  been.  I  infer  from  what  you  have  stated 
that  the  most  perfect  people  simply  obey  God's 
laws,  which  are  found  in  the  decalogue,  and  that, 
as  none  obey  to  the  letter,  troubles  must  come  to 
us  all." 

"  Yes,"  said  Tom,  "  in  the  abstract,  you  are 
correct.  Man  is  a  little  world,  a  microcosm ;  all 
things  in  nature  have  in  him  their  correspondence; 
hence,  as  nature  fails  when  natural  laws  are 
violated,  so  man  fails  when  he  violates  spiritual 
laws  or  the  laws  of  God.  This  is  sin ;  nothing 
more  or  less.  Sin  is  not  an  entity;  it  is  a  nonentity. 
It  is  the  violation  of  moral  laws,  or  rather  the 
failure  to  observe  them." 

"  These  ideas  are  beautiful,"  said  Nettie ;  "  they 
are  poetic." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  doctor,  "  they  emanated  from 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

the  greatest  poet  and  philosopher  that  the  world 
has  ever  produced." 

"  Can  you  forgive  me  for  thinking  you  frivolous 
a  few  moments  ago  ?"  said  Nettie,  casting  a  timid 
glance  of  entreaty,  not  unmixed  with  favor,  at 
Tom.  "  I  can  hardly  forgive  myself." 

Tom  laughed  aloud.  "  Indeed,  you  have  my 
full  pardon,"  said  he,  "  provided  you  will  fulfil  one 
or  the  other  of  two  conditions." 

"  Name  them,"  said  Nettie,  bravely. 

"  Either  release  me  at  once  from  imprisonment 
as  a  fish,  or  immediately  transform  yourself  into 
one  of  the  same  species.  You  notice  my  forgive- 
ness is  conditional." 

"Well,  since  you  have  so  fairly  earned  your 
freedom,  I  release  you  at  once,"  replied  Nettie, 
laughing  and  blushing,  as  only  pure  natures  are 
wont  to  blush. 

"Thank  fortune  I  am  a  man  again,"  said  the 
doctor,  pretending  to  stretch  himself;  "  now  let  us 
talk  of  worldly  matters." 

"  I  am  afraid/'  said  Nettie,  "  if  I  wish  you  to 
talk  as  I  like,  in  the  future  I  shall  be  obliged  to 
resort  to  the  transformation  act.  Metamorphosis 
seems  to  work  like  a  charm  in  opening  the  flood- 
gates of  your  speech." 

It  was  by  such  familiar  interchanges  of  wit  and 
thought  that  Nettie  and  Tom  rubbed  off  the  shy- 
ness of  new  acquaintance  and  became  stanch 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


125 


friends  who  could  chat  together  after  the  manner 
of  the  most  congenial  natures. 

Meanwhile  Jack,  having  tired  of  reading  aloud, 
had  been  entertaining  Belle  by  relating  some  of 
his  experiences  in  Italy,  and  his  struggles  as  a 
rising  young  artist. 

"  Life  in  Florence,"  Jack  was  saying,  as  the 
otrter  two  strolled  up  to  where  they  were  sitting, 
"  is  not  calculated  to  infuse  much  ambition  into  a 
man  unless  his  soul  is  devoted  to  art.  It  has  a 
climate  which  begets  lassitude  and  promotes  sen- 
timent. It  is  pre-eminently  a  city  of  associations 
and  traditions.  The  home  of  Dante,  of  Galileo, 
and  other  equally  famous  men,  it  is,  of  course, 
calculated  to  inspire  one  with  more  or  less  rever- 
ence, and  it  is  notably  a  city  of  art.  Beautiful 
statuary  abounds  everywhere,  and  one  is  con- 
stantly looking  at  some  production  by  which  his 
tastes  are  unconsciously  elevated ;  but  the  people, 
with  their  conceit  and  eccentricities,  weary  one. 
It  is  refreshing  to  meet  an  American.  After  all, 
there  is  no  place  like  home." 

"  Except  Cup  Island,"  said  Nettie,  gayly. 

"  And  that  is  a  sort  of  temporary  home ;  at  any 
rate,  we  must  consider  it  so,"  said  Tom,  pleasantly ; 
"  but  it  is  about  time  we  prepared  to  depart.  It 
is  now  after  one,  and  Van  Dusen  expects  us  on  the 
4  Siren*  by  two  o'clock." 

They  all  acted  readily  upon  Tom's  suggestion, 
ii* 


^   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

and  repaired  to  the  cottage,  appearing  before  many 
minutes  ready  for  the  short  row  to  the  yacht. 
While  they  were  in  the  boat  Jack  said,  in  a  sort 
of  meditative  way,  "  I  am  haunted  by  the  face  of 
that  man  Craik." 

"A  very  handsome  face,  I  am  sure,"  said  Belle, 
roguishly;  but  Jack,  without  seeming  to  heed  her 
remark,  continued, — 

"  I  have  certainly  seen  his  features  somewhere 
before,  but  where,  puzzles  me  greatly.  Of  one 
thing  I  am  positive;  the  impression  that  they 
make  upon  me  is  unfavorable.  Where  could  it 
have  been  ?  I  shall  puzzle  it  out  some  time,  I  am 
sure." 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Belle,  "  it  was  in  a  dream,  and 
dreams  go  by  contraries,  you  know." 

"  No,"  Jack  replied;  "  I  seldom  dream;  and  when 
I  do,  it  makes  no  impression  upon  my  memory. 
I  have  surely  met  this  man  somewhere,  for,  be- 
sides a  natural  love  of  physiognomy,  I  have  a 
good  recollection  for  faces,  and  his  face  I  remem- 
ber well ;"  saying  which  he  took  from  his  pocket 
a  small  sketch-book,  and,  tearing  from  it  a  leaf, 
quickly  sketched  a  likeness  of  Craik's  face,  sur- 
mounted by  the  broad-brimmed  Panama  hat. 
They  all  admitted  that  the  resemblance  to  the 
original  was  very  striking.  Jack  had  proved  him- 
self a  natural  physiognomist  by  giving  the  picture 
an  exaggerated  character.  He  had  portrayed  the 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


127 


features  excellently,  and  it  was  unmistakably  the 
representation  of  a  very  handsome  man ;  but  it 
was  so  ingeniously  drawn  that  the  true  character 
of  the  individual  was  apparent.  It  was  a  well- 
executed  caricature,  but  would  instantly  be  pro- 
nounced a  remarkable  likeness. 

Carlyle  once  said,  "  Often  I  have  found  a  por- 
trait superior  in  real  instruction  to  half  a  dozen 
written  biographies,  as  biographies  are  written ; 
or,  rather  let  me  say,  I  have  found  that  the  portrait 
was  a  small  lighted  candle,  by  which  the  biogra- 
phies could  for  the  first  time  be  read  and  some 
human  interpretation  be  made  of  them."  Carlyle's 
descriptions  of  the  faces,  of  the  characters  in  his 
histories  and  books,  are  so  lucid,  so  vivid,  that 
one  can  almost  feel  their  living  presence.  Here, 
for  instance,  is  his  description,  or  word-sketch,  of 
Daniel  Webster, — 

"As  a  logic-fencer,  or  parliamentary  Hercules, 
one  would  incline  to  back  him  at  first  sight  against 
all  the  extant  world.  The  tanned  complexion,  that 
amorphous  crag-like  face,  the  dull  black  eyes, 
under  their  precipice  of  brows,  like  dull  anthracite 
furnaces,  needed  only  to  be  blown;  the  mastiff- 
mouth,  accurately  closed;  I  have  not  traced  as 
much  of  silent  Berserker  rage  that  I  remember  of 
in  any  other  man." 

What  Carlyle  so  ably  described  in  words,  Jack 
could  portray  with  his  pencil  and  brush ;  and  here 


I28       A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

in  this  picture,  which  he  had  made  from  his  mem- 
ory of  Craik,  was  plainly  shown  the  face  of  a 
wicked,  cruel,  calculating  man.  There  was  the 
dishonest  droop  of  the  eyelid  over  the  cunning 
corner  of  the  dark,  unloving  eye,  overwrought 
perhaps  in  the  drawing,  but  true  enough  to  life ; 
there  was  the  mouth,  thin  of  lips,  and  lacking  the 
graceful  curves  which  indicate  an  affectionate  na- 
ture ;  there  were  the  tell-tale  lines  of  dissipation 
and  avarice,  all  exaggerated,  but  indicating  a  na- 
ture which  in  the  picture  impressed  them  all  un- 
favorably. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Dinner  on  the  "  Siren" — Communion  of  Soul — Tom  as  an  Oracle 
— Dry  Food  for  Craik — The  Minister  and  the  Professor — Vi- 
sions of  a  Sea-Serpent — Prefiguration — No  Proof  of  Contin- 
uous Evolution — Tom  gives  up  a  Luxury — A  Villain  at  Large 
— Newspapers. 

THE  dinner  on  board  of  the  "  Siren"  was  a  suc- 
cess. Van  Dusen  was  a  man  who  delighted  in 
nothing  more  than  in  entertaining.  Cordial,  fond 
of  anecdote,  a  fair  judge  of  human  nature,  he 
made  an  excellent  host,  exhaling  such  an  atmos- 
phere of  contentment  and  good  humor  that  his 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

guests  at  once  felt  comfortable  and  welcome. 
At  his  right  hand  sat  Major  and  Mrs.  Van  Twist, 
and  farther  on  Mr.  Craik,  Miss  Van  Twist,  and 
Professor  Romney;  on  his  left,  in  respective  order, 
were  Belle,  Jack,  Nettie,  Tom,  and  the  parson, 
Mr.  Kendall,  who  sat  at  the  other  end  of  the  table, 
vis-a-vis  to  the  host. 

professor  Romney,  who  counted  one  of  the 
yachting  party,  was  a  tall,  military-looking  indi- 
vidual, the  lines  of  whose  face  and  figure  were 
strangers  to  roundness, — in  fact,  the  only  round- 
ness about  him  seemed  concentrated  in  his  eye- 
glasses, which  sat  archly  upon  his  Greco-Amer- 
ican nose,  and  were  calculated  to  surprise  one 
into  the  belief  that  they  were  the  eyes  of  a  fierce 
monster  glaring  out  of  the  dark  recesses  behind 
them.  Professor  Romney  proved,  however,  dur- 
ing the  dinner,  that,  although  spare  in  person,  he 
was  by  no  means  destitute  of  ideas  or  informa- 
tion. The  customary  courtesy  to  the  presence  of 
a  man  of  the  cloth  having  been  said  in  the  shape 
of  grace,  and  the  first  urgent  desires  of  appetite 
satisfied,  the  excellently-cooked  food  seemed  grad- 
ually to  lubricate  the  tongues  of  all  present,  and 
a  general  hum  of  conversation  attested  to  their 
satisfaction  and  contentment. 

Mr.  Craik  entertained  Miss  Van  Twist  with  a 
description  of  Spanish  hotel-life,  occasionally 
glancing  over  at  Belle,  as  if  for  approval.  Jack 


1 3o 


A   SUMMEK  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


also  gave  some  of  his  impressions  upon  the  same 
subject,  while  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  after  skilfully  put- 
ting in  a  word  here  and  there  to  encourage  a  gen- 
eral communion  of  soul,  devoted  himself  to  the 
martyrdom  of  listening  to  Mrs.  Van  Twist's  ex- 
periences as  a  financier, — a  topic,  by  the  way,  of 
which  she  never  tired,  especially  when  the  listener 
was  as  polite  a  millionaire  as  her  host.  Tom,  who 
was  industriously  dissecting  a  tempting  cut  of 
broiled  blue-fish,  roguishly  asked  Nettie,  in  an 
undertone,  if  she  was  sure  she  could  enjoy  the 
idea  of  eating  fish  since,  in  her  imagination,  she 
had  so  recently  transformed  him  into  one. 

"  It  would  be  a  pity  to  devour  so  much  intelli- 
gence," Nettie  replied,  despairingly,  "  even  in  im- 
agination." Here  she  laid  down  her  fork.  "  But 
I  am  neither  going  to  allow  you  to  tease  me,  nor 
do  I  intend  to  get  angry  with  you  after  your 
learned  discourse  of  this  morning ;  so,  on  the 
whole,  I  think  I  will  finish  my  fish,"  taking  up 
her  fork  again  and  putting  it  to  good  use. 

"  Then  I  die  happy,"  said  Tom.  "  Shakespeare, 
I  think,  has  said,  '  Dainty  bits  make  rich  the  ribs, 
but  bankrupt  quite  the  wits.'  It  is  evident  that 
the  immortal  bard  was  mistaken.  What  a  bless- 
ing it  is  to  eat  and  really  enjoy  eating." 

"Yes,"  said  Nettie.  "I  have  read  that  Cleo- 
patra held  sway  over  Caesar  as  much  by  her  ex- 
cellent suppers  as  by  her  personal  charms." 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        I^l 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Tom,  amused ;  "  and  I 
believe  it  is  authentic  history  that  one  of  Eng- 
land's kings — Harry  the  Eighth,  may  be — ex- 
pressed his  gratitude  to  a  man  who  discovered  a 
new  dish,  of  which  he  became  very  fond,  by  pre- 
senting him  with  an  estate.  Those  were  days 
when  people  had  appreciative  appetites,  and  it 
seems  to  me  I  can  understand  this  better  since 
I  came  to  Cup  Island." 

"And  I,"  said  Nettie,  laughing,— "I  am  actually 
astonished  at  myself,  I  eat  so  much ;  but,  let  me 
ask  you,  are  you  serious  when  you  use  the  term 
'  authentic  history'  ?" 

"  It  was  a  slip  of  the  tongue,"  said  Tom,  laugh- 
ing. "  I  used  it  because  I  have  seen  it  somewhere 
in  print.  Of  course,  it  is  a  contradiction  of  terms  ; 
but,  speaking  of  gratitude  for  gastronomic  favors, 
does  it  not  strike  you  that  the  divorce-list  would 
amazingly  decrease  if  married  women  would 
devote  themselves  a  little  more  assiduously  to 
cookery?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Nettie,  "  I  know  it ;  and  I  always 
said  that  when  I  married  I  should  make  a  study 
of  my  husband's  epicureanism,  and  so  win  untold 
favors  and  limitless  regard  through  that  important 
channel." 

"And  do  you  really  believe  that  the  highway 
to  a  man's  heart  is  through  his  stomach  ?"  asked 
Tom,  semi-seriously. 


1^2   A  SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"Never  mind  what  I  believe,"  said  Nettie, 
shocked  at  the  doctor's  plain  language  and  not 
desiring  to  give  him  any  more  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Kendall,  the  clergyman,  who  by  the  way 
possessed  a  loud  voice  which  he  seldom  seemed 
to  think  it  necessary  or  wise  to  modulate,  had 
been  discussing  the  subject  of  card-playing  with 
the  professor.  The  clergyman  held  that  the  cus- 
tom was  bad  for  children  on  account  of  the  evil 
associations  connected  with  it. 

"  I  tell  you,  sir,"  said  he,  in  his  vociferous  way, 
arresting  for  a  moment  the  attention  of  all  present, 
his  metallic  voice  sounding  a  double  echo  from 
the  empty  wine-glasses  near  him, — "  I  tell  you, 
sir,  that  more  mischief  has  been  accomplished  in 
the  way  of  bringing  young  people  into  bad  com- 
pany through  the  medium  of  cards,  or  card-play- 
ing, than  in  almost  any  other  way.  It  is  not  so 
much  the  actual  playing  of  cards  which  is  so  ob- 
jectionable, but  it  is  what  the  habit  leads  to, — its 
results.  I  never  play  myself,  from  principle ;  but, 
of  course,  I  do  not  seriously  object  to  seeing  our 
good  friend  Van  Dusen  and  his  friends  enjoy 
themselves  here  occasionally  with  cards ;  they 
know  their  own  strength.  The  crying  evil  is  in 
allowing  children  to  acquire  the  habit." 

Here  he  seemed  to  stop,  either  because  he  had 
just  missed  a  forkful  of  macaroni  on  its  way  to 
his  mouth  or  because  he  had  abruptly  reached 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

the  end  of  his  logical  lane,  and  Tom  modestly 
ventured  to  lift  his  voice. 

"  My  parents,"  said  he,  gently,  "  always  allowed 
me  to  play  at  cards.  I  built  card-houses  when  a 
baby.  My  father  played,  my  mother  played,  and 
their  friends  often  dropped  in  of  an  evening  for  a 
social  game  of  whist.  Cards  to  me  have  the 
dearest  associations.  A  friend  of  mine,  however, 
was  reared  differently ;  he  was  taught  that  cards 
"were  a  crying  evil ;  whenever  he  ventured  to  im- 
port a  pack  into  the  family  they  were  immediately 
confiscated  and  consumed.  The  result  was  that 
he  played  cards  in  his  father's  barn  on  the  sly. 
I  played  openly  in  my  father's  house.  Boswell 
once  asked  Johnson  if  he  did  not  consider  a  cer- 
tain piece  of  statuary  indecent.  '  No,  sir,'  said 
the  doctor ;  '  but  your  remark  is.'  I  know  little 
about  gambling,  as  to  how  or  where  it  is  carried 
on.  How  can  cards  with  me  have  had  an  evil 
influence  ?  I  think  they  never  had.  It  seems  to 
me  it  is  the  motive  in  the  individual  which  makes 
a  habit  or  an  action  evil  or  good." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  said  Mr.  Kendall,  not  noticing  that 
a  long  string  of  macaroni  had  lodged  in  his  beard, 
where  it  was  making  frantic  swinging  efforts  to 
escape,  "that  is  it  exactly;  it  is  the  motive,  sir; 
but  a  child  has  no  definite  motive ;  he  should  be 
under  the  surveillance  or  constant  guidance  of  his 
parents,  who  should  warn  him  of  the  breakers 

12 


*  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

ahead,  help  him  over  them,  and  shield  him  from 
evils." 

"True,"  said  Tom,  becoming  at  last  quite  in- 
terested in  the  discussion  and  striving  to  ignore 
the  macaroni,  which  he  knew  by  instinct  that 
Belle  and  Nettie  were  exchanging  glances  about, 
"  when  there  are  breakers  ahead ;  but  is  it  wise, 
nay,  is  it  just,  to  teach  a  child  that  whist,  for  in- 
stance, is  an  evil  and  card-playing  pernicious, 
when  other  games  equally  innocent  are  allowable 
and  enjoyed  ?  Would  not  the  inconsistency  of 
such  a  statement  arouse  the  child's  curiosity  and 
indignation,  and  would  there  not  be  danger  of  his 
seeking  the  barn  or  privacy  to  do  his  playing  ? 
Rather  than  to  so  unjustly  deceive  a  child  of  mine, 
I  would  prefer  to  take  him  when  he  is  old  enough 
into  some  gambling  den,  where  I  could  teach  him 
to  appreciate  its  horrors.  I  would  show  him  with  a 
shudder  the  haggard,  careworn  faces  of  the  players 
as  they  stake  their  last  dollar,  lose  it,  and  rise  with 
agonized  faces  to  leave  the  room  and  return  to  a 
comfortless  home  ;  or  I  would  explain  to  him  the 
avaricious  grin  of  selfish  delight  which  distorts 
the  visages  of  those  who  win.  He  should  under- 
stand how  transparent  is  the  delight  of  such  and 
how  heart-rending  the  despair  of  their  victims.  I 
think  there  are  few  children,  if  any,  who,  if  clearly 
instructed  about  the  horrors  of  evil-doing,  would 
fail  to  profit  by  it,  at  least  at  some  period  of  their 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        j^j 

lives.  Such  a  course,  however,  necessitates  a 
happy  home  and  perfect  behavior  in  the  instructor." 

"  Did  you  ever  mould  in  clay,  sir  ?"  asked  the 
professor  of  Tom. 

"  No  ;  I  never  tried  it,"  Tom  replied,  smiling, 
and  the  clergyman  shook  his  head  also  in  the  nega- 
tive, causing  the  restless  macaroni  to  form  a  figure 
Suggestive  of  the  much-observed  sea-serpent. 

"  Well,  it  is  a  most  delightful  occupation,"  con- 
tinued the  professor,  reflecting  the  pleasant  ex- 
pression of  Tom's  face  and  that  of  Belle  and 
Nettie,  who  were  both  closely  observing  the  antics 
of  the  sea-serpent. 

"  It  is  astonishing  what  marked  facial  changes 
one  can  produce  with  a  very  slight  alteration  in 
the  clay.  Suppose  you  were  modelling  the  head 
of  a  man,  for  instance,  you  produce  features  which 
as  they  grow  are  pleasing,  the  eyes  and  mouth 
smile,  and  as  you  progress  your  heart  joins  your 
hands  in  your  work,  you  actually  begin  to  admire 
the  muddy  head  before  you.  It  shows  traits  of 
character  which  you  did  not  dream  that  you  could 
produce.  You  are  drawn  into  a  sort  of  friendly 
intercourse  with  it,  as  with  some  interesting  new- 
made  friend. 

"  Now,  if  your  courage  be  equal  to  the  experi- 
ment, take  your  moulding-stick  and  roughly 
press  it  into  the  corners  of  the  eyes  and  mouth, 
just  four  quick  pressures  made  at  random,  and 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

behold,  your  good-natured  friend  has  flown ;  while 
in  his  stead  is  a  countenance  which  looks  capable 
of  murder,  or  worse  yet,  a  four  hours'  harangue  in 
the  House  on  the  tariff!  Now  children,  it  seems 
to  me,  are  modelled  very  much  like  clay ;  if  one  is 
careful  with  every  stroke  of  the  instrument  he  will 
obtain  a  child-image  which  will  delight  the  eye ; 
but  if  he  shuts  his  eyes,  allows  the  stick  to  make 
random  ravages,  it  will  assume  some  hideous  shape. 

"  I  never  see  a  very  bad  child  but  I  think  that  its 
guardians  must  have  moulded  carelessly.  There 
may  be  exceptions ;  if  so,  I  hope  they  prove  the 
rule,  but  I  am  convinced  that  good  example  is 
more  effective  than  good  precept.  Both  are  indis- 
pensable to  proper  home  training." 

This  was  a  long  speech  for  the  professor,  and  it 
was  evident  to  the  girls  that  he  had  not  discovered 
the  sea-serpent. 

"  Of  course  you  do  not  except  the  importance 
of  Sunday-school,"  said  Mr.  Kendall ;  the  sea- 
serpent  meantime  diving  into  the  very  depths  of 
his  black  beard  and  reappearing  on  its  lower 
border. 

"  With  all  due  deference,  no,"  said  the  professor, 
not  referring  to  the  sea-serpent ;  "  and  yet,  let  me 
ask  you  what  the  impressions  made  upon  a  child's 
mind  by  the  constant  changes  of  doctrine  must 
lead  to  ?  If  not  to  skepticism,  or  at  least  to  agnos- 
ticism, or  indifference,  what  then  ?" 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

Jack,  who  had  hitherto  been  fiercely  struggling 
to  overcome  a  great  commotion  among  his  risi- 
bilities, for  his  eyes  had  for  some  time  been  divided 
between  the  antics  of  the  sea-serpent  and  the  faces 
of  the  girls,  now  pricked  up  his  ears.  He  was  in- 
clined to  favor  agnosticism,  and  felt  that  the  con- 
versation was  about  to  become  interesting.  The 
Van  Twists  had  a  sleepy  look,  particularly  the 
*•  major,  who  nodded  over  his  wine;  Mr.  Craik 
looked  bored,  while  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  who  had 
seen  the  sea-serpent,  wore  a  most  indulgent  ex- 
pression. 

Tom  saw  Jack's  interest,  and  noticed  a  look  of 
great  concern  upon  the  faces  of  Nettie  and  Belle, 
who  had  heard  the  professor's  last  remark.  True, 
women  never  like  to  hear  religion  attacked.  They 
are  its  natural  champions,  having  an  instinctive 
feeling  that  it  is  their  main  anchorage.  They  feel 
as  though  it  was  the  keystone  in  life's  frail  arch. 
They  know  intuitively  that,  should  this  prop  be 
taken  away,  the  two  sides  which  complete  the 
arch — love  and  intelligence,  or  more  explicitly, 
goodness  and  truth — would  fall  and  meet  destruc- 
tion. With  such  a  fall  they  realize  that  complete 
annihilation  to  matrimony  and  home  would  surely 
follow.  They  know,  de profundis,  without  thought, 
that  beneath  this  arch,  beneath  life's  fragile  bridge, 
over  which  they  now  so  confidently  tread,  flows 
the  murky,  turgid  river  of  destruction,  reeking 

12* 


138 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


with  polygamy,  free-love,  blasphemy,  and  perdi- 
tion. They  know  full  well,  as  their  gaze  meets 
this  treacherous  flood  below,  what  the  overthrow 
of  this  bridge  would  involve ;  their  dear  faces 
blanch  at  the  thought,  and  their  pure  hearts  grow 
faint  within  them. 

The  professor  was  one  of  those  men  who  are 
constantly  meddling  with  the  foundations  of 
things.  He  was  very  much  like  the  Irishman 
whose  duty  it  was  to  saw  off  a  limb  from  one  of 
New  Haven's  stately  elms.  He  straddled  the 
limb  facing  the  trunk  and  deliberately  sawed  him- 
self into  heaven,  for  being  upon  the  branch  which 
fell,  he  fell  with  it. 

The  clergyman  not  replying  immediately,  Tom, 
who  had  now  forgotten  the  sea-serpent,  said, — 

"  Why  should  a  change  of  doctrines  appear  in- 
consistent when  fundamental  truths  remain  un- 
changed? I  was  taught  at  Sunday-school  that 
there  was  a  God,  and  that  He  made  all  things.  I 
have  always  believed  it." 

"  Were  you  taught  that  there  were  three  Gods 
and  yet  one  ?"  asked  the  professor,  quickly. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Tom ;  "  and  the  inconsistency  of 
the  statement  troubled  me  greatly." 

"  We  must  have  faith  to  believe,"  said  Mr.  Ken- 
dall ;  "  faith  is  the  foundation  of  all  religion.  The 
Athanasian  creed  was  formulated  with  this  idea." 

"  I  prefer  the  Holy  Word,"  said   Tom,  calmly 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

"  In  the  Old  Testament  I  find  mention  of  one 
Lord  or  Jehovah,  and  the  prediction  that  He  will 
appear  in  human  form  on  earth.  In  the  New 
Testament  I  find  mention  of  His  appearance  as 
Divine  Humanity,  thus  fulfilling  the  prophecy; 
but  I  do  not  find  anywhere  in  the  Holy  Scripture 
a  concise  or  definite  statement  that  God  is  more 
tjya«  one  person.  The  Athanasian  creed  is  another 
matter.  It  is  of  human  origin  and  therefore  im- 
perfect and  inaccurate.  Stating  first  that  the 
matter  it  treats  of  is  mysterious,  it  goes  on  to  ex- 
plain the  mystery,  or  pretends  to,  fails  ignomin- 
iously,  and  finally  declares  that  no  one  can  be 
saved  who  does  not  believe  in  this  explanation, 
which  in  itself  is  a  tissue  of  absurd  contradictions. 
It  is  worthy  of  the  age  in  which  it  was  written, 
and  instead  of  making  its  author  immortal,  its  very 
untruthfulness  seems  more  apparent,  from  the  fact 
that  the  author  is  not  definitely  known." 

"  St.  Athanasius  wrote  the  creed,  I  think,"  said 
the  clergyman,  quickly. 

"  It  is  not  only  quite  certain  that  he  did  not 
write  it,"  said  Tom,  "  but  there  are  many  who  at- 
tribute its  authorship  to  Virgilius,  a  bishop  from 
Africa." 

"  I  never  could  read  it  with  the  slightest  degree 
of  patience,"  said  Professor  Romney.  "  It  attempts 
to  solve  a  mystery,  fails  completely,  and  then  con- 
demns or  damns  all  who  will  not  accept  as  infallible 


J4O       A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

its  imperfect  explanation.  Its  texture  is  grossly 
human,  and  savors  of  the  barbarism  which  tainted 
the  age  in  which  it  was  written." 

"  I  admit,"  said  Mr.  Kendall, — and  as  he  spoke 
the  sea-serpent,  seeming  to  make  a  desperate  effort 
to  escape,  disappeared  in  the  ample  space  between 
the  clergyman's  vest  and  coat, — "  I  admit  that  the 
creed  is  rather  ambiguous  and,  perhaps,  perplex- 
ing ;  but  there  are  many  clergymen  who  no  longer 
pin  their  faith  to  it." 

This  signal  retreat — we  refer  to  that  of  the 
clergyman — drew  a  smile  from  more  faces  than 
one. 

"  Sancta  Maria,  ora  pro  nobis"  whispered  Jack 
to  Belle,  while  Tom,  following  up  his  advantage, 
said, — 

"  The  fact,  however,  that  doctrines  change  does 
not  alter  or  affect  basal  truths.  As  the  world  ad- 
vances in  wisdom  those  doctrines  which  are  no 
longer  useful  are  thrown  aside  to  be  replaced  by 
newer  and  brighter  ones.  This  is  the  case  with 
everything;  supererogation  is  not  a  law  of  nature. 
Man's  wants,  both  physical  and  mental,  are  sup- 
plied according  to  his  actual  need.  This  fact 
emphasizes  the  nobility  and  God-likeness  of  free 
determination. 

"  Physical  wants  are  met  according  to  the  need 
of  the  hour  and  age.  Invention  is  the  outcome 
of  a  want,  or,  to  put  it  more  familiarly,  '  Necessity 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        ^j 

is  the  mother  of  invention.'  The  locomotive  and 
the  old-fashioned  stage-coach  represent  the  neces- 
sities of  two  distinct  ages.  Electric  light,  gas, 
lamp,  and  candle  each  represents  the  need  of  the 
generation  in  which  it  served  its  greatest  use." 

The  serpent  had  disappeared,  and  Tom  waxed 
eloquent  as  he  continued, — 

^"  It  is  the  same  with  ideas  and  religious  doc- 
trines; those  which  lose  their  use  fall  back  and 
make  room  for  newer  and  better. 

"A  doctrine  flourishes  just  in  proportion  to  the 
quality  of  the  soil  in  which  its  first  seeds  are  sown. 
That  soil  should  be  rich  in  love  and  faith.  His- 
tory and  traditions  are  modified  and  completely 
changed  by  time  and  repetition. 

"  Mythology  is  the  fickle  child  of  antiquity.  The 
myths  of  the  Middle  Ages  show  clearly  how  le- 
gends change  by  repetition  and  the  hand  of  time. 
St.  George  is  claimed  by  nearly  every  nation  on 
the  Eastern  hemisphere.  In  Nabataean  mythology 
he  was  Tammuz ;  in  the  Phoenician  he  was  Adon ; 
in  Syria,  Baal ;  in  Egypt,  Osiris ;  in  Arabia,  El 
Kouder  or  Tauz;  and  in  our  modern  Christian 
mythology  he  is  the  noble  St.  George  who  res- 
cued the  fair  maiden ;  but  it  is  conceded  by  good 
authority  that  he  had  his  real  origin  in  the  Shemitic 
god  Adonis,  a  name  which  signified  the  Lord.  I 
mention  these  facts  to  show  that  ancient  legends 
are  modified  to  suit  the  ages  in  which  they  are 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

told,  while  the  basal  truths  which  underlie  them 
remain  unchanged." 

"  We  would  soon  be  stranded  upon  the  shore 
of  skepticism  did  we  not  possess  faith,"  said  Mr. 
Kendall,  in  a  determined  manner. 

"  Granted,"  said  Tom ;  "  provided  faith  is 
grounded  in  reason." 

"  Faith  is  the  ground-work  of  love,"  said  the 
parson. 

"  I  would  reverse  the  proposition,"  said  the 
doctor,  "  putting  love  in  the  first  place ;  but  they 
are  in  one  sense  inseparable  and  must  work  to- 
gether. To  love  is  to  will,  inasmuch  as  what  we 
will  we  love.  If  faith  produced  love  and  good 
works,  the  great  majority  of  professing  Christians 
would  be  noted  for  their  charity  and  good  deeds. 
Is  it  so  ?  Are  not  the  clergy  and  great  mass  of 
people  deficient  in  this  respect  ?  Lack  of  charity 
and  love  to  the  neighbor,  it  seems  to  me,  stand 
out  prominently  as  defects  to  be  remedied  in  the 
church." 

"  True  faith  is  inseparable  from  charity  and  love; 
it  is  grounded  in  them." 

"  Why,"  asked  Jack,  whose  equilibrium  was  now 
restored  by  the  disappearance  of  the  sea-serpent, 
— "  why  is  it  necessary  for  us  to  believe  or  have 
faith  in  anything  supernatural  or  transcendental  ?" 

"  Because,"  said  Tom,  after  waiting  in  vain  for 
Mr.  Kendall,  the  clergyman,  to  reply,  "  the  mind 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

is  the  true  instrument  of  the  soul  of  man,  which 
is  in  itself  transcendental." 

"  But  how  will  you  prove  your  statement  ?" 
Jack  said. 

"  The  bare  fact,"  replied  Tom,  thoughtfully, 
"  that  we  are  capable  of  a  mental  conception  of  a 
future  life  is  positive  proof  that  such  a  life  exists. 
Le^-me  explain  more  fully.  It  is  impossible  to 
think  of  a  thing  which  does  not  exist.  Try  it. 
You  may  conceive  of  a  centaur,  to  be  sure,  which 
as  a  centaur  does  not  exist,  but  the  horse's  body 
and  the  man's  head  are  realities  which  do  exist, 
therefore  the  basis  of  your  conception  is  tangible 
fact." 

"  But,"  said  Jack,  rather  exultantly,  "  we  get  all 
of  our  ideas  from  nature,  and  not  from  any  spirit- 
land  that  I  am  aware  of." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Craik,  laughing  loudly,  and 
waking  up  the  major.  "  I  never  saw  a  ghost  in 
my  life,  and  never  expect  to." 

"  Nature,"  said  Tom,  slowly,  and  as  if  striving 
to  reduce  his  thoughts  to  proper  shape  for  the 
assimilation  of  moral  dyspeptics, — "  nature,  as  we 
see  her  in  matter,  is  a  great  study ;  every  partic- 
ular thing  in  her  three  kingdoms  has  its  substance, 
form,  and  use,  and  in  this  sense  nature  is  a  prefig- 
uration  of  man.  This  law  of  prefiguration  holds 
good  throughout  nature,  and  on  it  men  have  based 
their  different  theories  of  evolution.  Each  object 


144 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


in  nature  prefigures  something  higher  than  itself 
in  the  scale  of  perfection,  until  man  is  reached. 
The  frost  upon  the  glass  window  prefigures  vege- 
tation, and  the  plant  or  tree,  with  its  circulatory 
apparatus  and  fibrous  skeleton,  prefigures  the 
animal." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  professor,  interrupting ;  "  I  have 
seen  the  Ptilota  plumbsa  remarkably  pictured  in 
the  frost-work ;  and  in  misty  weather  I  have  seen 
upon  the  sidewalks  frost-tracings  which  resembled 
the  foot-prints  of  certain  aquatic  birds,  and  upon 
very  thin  ice  I  have  noticed  almost  perfect  repre- 
sentations of  some  of  the  larger  ferns,  such  as  the 
Polypodium  aureum ;  but  it  never  occurred  to  me 
that  these  were  prefigurations ;  the  idea  interests 
me  exceedingly.  Pray  proceed  with  your  remarks, 
doctor,  for  they  seem  to  lead  one's  thoughts  into 
new  fields." 

"  Yes,"  said  Nettie,  with  true  feeling ;  "  do  con- 
tinue. The  subject  is  intensely  interesting." 

Mr.  Kendall  politely  bowed  his  desires,  and 
Tom  proceeded, — 

"  I  was  simply  about  to  state,"  said  he,  "  that 
the  prefiguration  of  something  higher  or  better  is 
apparent  everywhere.  The  beautiful  snow-flakes 
show  us  lovely  flowers,  and  also  prefigure  the 
star-fish ;  but  the  most  significant  and  beautiful 
prefigurations  are  found  in  plants  and  flowers,  as 
the  professor  will  tell  you." 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  the  professor,  pleased  at  the 
opportunity  to  ventilate  his  knowledge ;  "  there 
are  plants  which  derive  their  names  from  their 
resemblance  to  higher  forms  in  nature;  and  of 
course  you  are  aware  that  plants  and  flowers  sleep 
and  eat,  and  the  sensitive  plant  actually  moves." 

"  I  was  about  to  answer  the  question  as  to 
-how  the  fact  of  a  higher  life  and  power  could  be 
proved,"  said  Tom.  "  Those  prefigurations  in  the 
mineral  and  vegetable  kingdoms  are  continued  on 
a  grander  and  higher  scale  in  the  animal  kingdom, 
prefiguring  there  man's  affections  and  intelligence. 
People  recognize  these  latter  prefigurations  in- 
stinctively, as  can  be  proved  by  the  commonplace 
methods  of  speech.  They  say,  for  instance,  that 
a  man  is  '  as  cross  as  a  bear]  '  as  greedy  as  a  pig,' 
' as  obstinate  as  a  mule'  ' as  gentle  as  a  lamb,'  ' as 
gay  as  a  lark,'  ' as  harmless  as  a  dove',  and  so  on 
ad  infinitum ;  they  thus  unconsciously,  or  wisely, 
if  you  will,  acknowledge  the  prefigurations  among 
the  lower  animals  which  represent  the  qualities  in 
man.  Now,  to  come  directly  to  the  point,  all  of 
these  kingdoms  of  nature — the  mineral,  vegetable, 
and  animal — prefigure  or  foretell  the  existence  of 
a  superior  being,  and  we  trace  them  up  higher 
and  higher  in  the  wonderful  scale  until  we  reach 
man,  the  epitome  of  nature." 

"  Yes,  that  is  clear,"  said  the  professor. 

"  Now,"  continued  Tom,  "  what  reason  have  we 
G  k  13 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

for  stopping  here  ?  We  must  study  men  and  go 
higher  still.  We  get  our  information  from  a  true 
source  that  man  is  made  in  the  image  and  like- 
ness of  his  Creator,  but  this  does  not  satisfy  the 
skeptic ;  he  must  investigate  to  see  if  this  state- 
ment is  reasonable.  He  finds  that  man  possesses 
a  free  will, — or  freedom  to  act  as  he  pleases ;  this 
suggests  something  God-like ;  it  is,  in  fact,  a  pre- 
figuration  of  God.  This  quality  of  freedom  is 
referable  to  something  in  one  which  is  apart  from 
matter;  it  is  spiritual ;  hence  we  find  the  soul  or 
spirit  of  man,  which  also  prefigures  the  '  Great 
Spirit,' — God.  This  spirit  being  superior  to  or 
above  nature  is  transcendental ;  it  is  supernatural ; 
and  as  it  is  destined  to  a  life  here  on  earth  of  pro- 
bation or  preparation,  this  life  is,  therefore,  a  pre- 
figuration  of  a  higher  and  a  future  existence." 

"  Your  reasoning  is  good,  sir,"  said  the  professor, 
enthusiastically,  "and  has  more  weight  with  me 
than  all  of  the  arguments  on  the  Trinity  and  Resur- 
rection, or  treatises  upon  Redemption  and  the 
Atonement,  that  I  have  ever  investigated.  The 
trouble  is  they  are  not  based  on  sound  reason." 

"  I  think,"  said  Tom,  "  that  modern  thought  is 
shaping  itself  to  facts  in  harmony  with  those  I 
have  just  stated." 

"  May  I  ask  your  ideas  on  the  theory  of  evolu- 
tion ?"  asked  Mr.  Kendall,  graciously. 

"  Certainly,"  said  the  doctor,  looking  in  Jack's 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

direction  to  see  if  he  commanded  his  attention ; 
"  but  first  let  me  remark  that  I  claim  no  originality 
in  what  I  have  stated." 

"  Allow  me  to  ask,"  said  Jack,  who  seemed  to 
have  entirely  forgotten  the  sea-serpent,  "  what 
absolute  proof  have  we  of  the  existence  of  a 
Divine  Being?" 

"  I  was  about  to  speak  of  that,"  said  Tom ;  "  but 
let  me  answer  you  in  part  by  asking  a  question. 
Is  it  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  all  things  were 
in  the  beginning  created  ?  Or  let  me  put  the 
question  differently, — Is  it  rational  to  believe  that 
anything  can  be  created  out  of  or  from  nothing  ? 
Is  such  a  supposition  reasonable  ?" 

"  Certainly  not,"  said  the  professor,  answering 
for  Jack.  "  Everything  possesses  substance,  form, 
and  power  or  use,  and  those  qualities  could  not 
emanate  from  nothing,  which,  according  to  our 
conception,  is  void.  It  would  be  as  reasonable  to 
suppose  that  a  vacuum  could  produce  a  hurri- 
cane." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Tom,  smiling  his  approval 
at  the  professor,  who  was  becoming  an  enthusi- 
astically, "  we  arrive  at  the  reasonable  conclusion 
that  all  things  were  created  by  some  agency  or 
person ;  and  since  the  analogies  of  the  lower 
kingdoms  point  to  man,  the  grand  macrocosm, 
including  man,  points  to  a  being  capable  of  pro- 
ducing it.  Such  a  being  must,  of  course,  be  om- 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

nipotent,  omniscient,  and  omnipresent,  and  such  is 
our  conception  by  natural  processes  of  God,  the 
Creator  of  the  universe." 

"  That  is  a  well-worn  theory,"  said  Mr.  Kendall, 
cheerfully.  "We  judge  of  God  by  His  works  just 
as  we  judge  in  the  same  manner  of  man.  If  a 
carpenter,  for  instance,  does  good  work  we  know 
he  is  a  good  carpenter,  if  we  only  see  his  work ; 
in  the  same  way  we  judge  of  God.  It  is  not 
necessary  for  us  to  have  ocular  demonstration  ; 
we  feel  and  realize  His  greatness  and  goodness 
without,  by  the  wonderful  adjustment  of  all  things 
in  nature." 

"  But  you  were  about  to  give  us  your  ideas  on 
the  evolution  theory,"  said  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  who 
had  been  secretly  wondering  what  had  become  of 
the  minister's  sea-serpent 

"In  the  first  place,"  said  Tom,  smiling,  "it  is 
only  fair  to  tell  you  all  frankly  that  I  differ  from 
the  majority  of  the  advocates  of  continuous  evo- 
lution from  Anaximander  to  Huxley.  They  all 
or  nearly  so,  if  I  am  correctly  informed,  have  ad- 
hered to  the  belief  that  changes  in  what  they  term 
the  '  chain  of  nature'  occur  continuously ;  from  a 
state  of  inferiority  to  one  of  superiority.  This  I 
claim  would  be  impossible.  An  inferior  thing  or 
being  cannot  create  a  thing  or  being  superior  to 
itself." 

"  True,"  said  the  professor,  excitedly,  slapping 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

the  table  with  his  bony  hand ;  "  that  is  a  grand 
thought."  Then,  suddenly  becoming  serious  again, 
he  asked,  "  But  how  then,  doctor,  can  a  race  of 
beings  improve  their  condition  as  we,  for  instance, 
in  this  country  are  improving  ?  How  can  we  do 
this  without  external  help  ?" 

"  We  cannot,"  said  Tom,  smiling  at  the  profes- 
£pr's  enthusiasm.  "  The  same  Being  who  created 
us  is  continually  improving  our  spiritual  condition. 
You  must  have  remarked  that  Christianity  and 
mental  improvement  always  travel  together.  The 
chain  of  nature  or,  more  properly  speaking,  sys- 
tem of  nature,  which  evolutionists  claim  is  continu- 
ous, is  in  a  measure  analogous  to  a  musical  scale. 
In  music  the  notes  must  be  discrete  to  be  har- 
monious or  concordant.  A  continuous  scale  of 
music  would  sound  like  a  shriek  or  an  Indian  war- 
whoop.  It  is  the  same  with  colors,  which,  by  the 
way,  correspond  beautifully  to  the  musical  scale. 
A  painting  would  have  no  character  unless  the 
colors  were  discrete.  It  would,  like  the  war- 
whoop,  be  inharmonious.  The  same  rule  holds 
good  in  the  grand  system  of  nature  from  the 
highest  (man)  to  the  lowest  kingdom.  Each  kind 
or  species  is  discrete,  and  must  be  so  to  harmonize 
with  and  fit  into  its  distinct  or  specific  place  in  the 
universe.  If  the  highest  quadrupeds  terminated 
with  the  monkey,  the  lion  would  lose  his  crown 
and  sceptre.  The  eagle  is  on  another  discrete 

13* 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

plane.  He  is  the  acknowledged  king  of  birds, 
and  with  him  superiority  in  the  feathered  tribe 
ends." 

"  I  clearly  get  your  idea,"  said  the  professor ; 
"  and  you  have  demolished  a  famous  castle  in  the 
air  which  I  have  been  building  for  years.  Your 
theory  leaves  one  satisfied,  while  that  of  continu- 
ous evolution  does  not  harmonize  with  Bible 
teaching  or  with  apparent  natural  laws." 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  the  clergyman  ;  "  and  I  am 
afraid  the  missing  link  will  never  be  found." 

Van  Dusen,  who  with  the  rest  had  been  an 
amused  and  attentive  listener,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  little  anxious,  since  the  sudden  and  mys- 
terious disappearance  of  the  sea-serpent,  lest  the 
conversation  might  become  tiresome  to  some  of 
them,  here  spoke,  saying  kindly, — 

"  Doctor,  I  have  known  you  incidentally  for 
several  years  ;  but  I  never  dreamed  that  you  were 
the  treasure-house  of  so  much  good  philosophy. 
One  would  think  that  the  onerous  duties  of  caring 
for  the  sick  would  be  as  much  as  you  could  pos- 
sibly attend  to." 

"  Well,"  said  Tom,  laughing,  "as  for  philosophy, 
I  admit  that  it  is  good ;  but  the  ideas  which  I 
have  expressed  are  by  no  means  original  with  me ; 
and  as  for  caring  for  the  sick  I  must  say  that  I, 
for  the  present  at  least,  deny  the  charge,  for  I 
never  had  the  pleasure  of  sitting  at  table  with 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        l$l 

more  healthy  people,  and,  I  desire  to   add,  with 
more  congenial  friends." 

Shortly  after  this,  Mr.  Van  Dusen  suggested 
that  they  should  all  adjourn  to  the  deck,  where 
he  promised  the  gentlemen  a  comforting  cigar  and 
the  ladies  a  cool  breeze. 

On  their  way  up  the  narrow  companion-way  to 
the  deck  Jack  found  time  to  say  to  Belle, — 
*•*•"  "  Your  brother  has  toppled  over  my  house  with 
his  radical  ideas." 

"  I  am  glad  of  it,"  said  Belle,  pleasantly,  "  if  it 
was  built  upon  sand;"  and  Tom,  as  he  assisted 
Miss  Knowles  to  ascend,  saw  in  her  beautiful  eyes 
a  look  which  he  had  never  seen  there  before, 
and  which  thrilled  his  honest  heart  with  joy. 
The  conviction  forced  itself  upon  him,  then  and 
there,  that  his  heart  was  no  longer  his  own,  and 
he  felt  that  supreme  gladness  which  comes  to 
man  but  once  in  a  lifetime.  He  pressed  the  hand 
he  held  tenderly,  and  in  a  low,  earnest  voice 
said, — 

"  I  am  afraid  I  neglected  you  at  dinner.    I " 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed,"  she  replied,  quickly  interrupt- 
ing him  and  correctly  interpreting  his  affectionate 
tone  and  manner.  "  You  made  me  proud  of  you, 
— of  knowing  you,"  she  added,  blushing  at  the 
thought  of  her  proprietorship  in  him  and  modestly 
fearing  that  she  might  have  gone  too  far.  After 
seating  themselves,  Tom  was  called  aside  for  some 


^  SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

purpose  by  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  and  Mr.  Craik  took 
the  vacated  camp-chair  at  Nettie's  side. 

"  Is  the  odor  of  tobacco  offensive  to  you,  Miss 
Knowles  ?"  he  asked,  as  he  accepted  a  cigar  which 
was  passed  to  him. 

"  No,"  replied  Nettie ;  "  I  do  not  mind  it  much 
in  the  open  air.  Tell  me,  Mr.  Craik,  why  do  men 
smoke  ?" 

"  That  is  a  question  difficult  to  answer  intelli- 
gently," he  replied,  laughing.  "  If  I  were  to  tell 
you  because  it  is  a  pleasure,  you  would  probably 
ask,  why  a  pleasure  ?  if  I  were  to  tell  you  because 
it  is  a  necessity,  you  would  probably  puzzle  me  by 
asking,  why  a  necessity  ?  and  my  answers  to  these 
inquiries  might  not  satisfy  you,  or  you  would  ac- 
cuse me  of  joking.  The  truth  is  both  reasons  are 
correct.  We  smoke  at  first  because  others  whom 
we  admire  or  respect  have  done  so  before  us ;  their 
example  stimulates  us  to  the  trial.  There  are  dis- 
agreeable reminiscences  connected  with  the  first 
few  attempts ;  after  which  we  smoke  because,  as  I 
said  before,  it  becomes  a  necessity,  a  habit,  which 
is  so  fastened  upon  us  that  we  cannot  easily  re- 
nounce it, — we  are  in  one  sense  slaves ;  then,  as  to 
the  pleasure,  to  be  very  frank  with  you,  that  is  the 
greatest  when  we  have  been  the  longest  deprived 
of  indulgence  of  the  habit ;  tobacco  being  a  pow- 
erful narcotic,  it  quiets  the  nerves  and  soothes  the 
mind  until  it  is  time  to  smoke  again." 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"  Your  answer  is  frank  at  any  rate,"  Nettie  re- 
plied; "but  it  seems  to  me,  were  I  a  man,  I  would 
allow  no  habit  to  so  fasten  upon  me  as  to  involve 
my  freedom." 

"  That  is  a  matter  about  which  very  wise  heads 
have  differed  for  many  years,"  said  Tom,  who, 
having  returned  and  thrown  himself  at  Nettie's 
feet,  now  joined  in  the  conversation.  "  You  are 
,,and  have  been  a  slave  to  several  habits  which  are  a 
necessity  to  you, — eating,  drinking,  breathing,  etc." 

"  But,"  said  Nettie,  who  was  by  no  means  weak 
in  an  argument,  "  I  was  referring  to  habits  which 
are  acquired,  and  not  the  legitimate  necessities  of 
life,  which  of  course  are  indispensable." 

"  It  is  a  deep  subject,"  said  Tom,  puffing  his 
cigar  with  evident  enjoyment.  "  As  babes  we  live 
upon  the  simplest  diet;  later  on  we  mature,  we 
acquire  the  habits  of  digesting  solid  foods;  we 
also  acquire  habits  of  neatness,  order,  truthfulness, 
etc.,  and  their  opposites." 

"  I  will  not  be  rude  enough  to  say  that  smo- 
king is  one  of  the  opposites,"  said  Nettie ;  "  but 
these  acquired  habits  which  you  have  mentioned 
are  healthful  and  in  harmony  with  hygienic  laws, 
whereas  it  requires  a  struggle  on  the  part  of  nature 
to  become  accustomed,  if  she  ever  does,  to  the 
poisonous  effects  of  tobacco." 

Tom,  who  had  been  cleverly  drawing  Nettie 
out,  now  changed  his  tactics. 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPOKT  HARBOR. 

"  You  are  quite  right,  Miss  Knowles ;  there  is 
a  great  difference  between  a  habit  which  fulfils  a 
requirement  of  nature  and  one  which  taxes  its 
endurance.  I  do  not  desire  to  become  a  cham- 
pion of  the  habit  of  using  tobacco,  or  any  other 
poison." 

"Then  why  are  you,  who  believe  example  to 
be  of  more  importance  than  precept,  one  of  the 
great  army  of  tobacco-users  ?" 

"  I  could  easily  desert  its  ranks,"  said  Tom, 
throwing  his  freshly-lighted  Havana  over  the 
taffrail  of  the  yacht  into  the  water.  "  There  will 
be  a  short  struggle  and  a  victory." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  can  and  will 
give  up  using  tobacco  ?"  asked  Nettie,  now  some- 
what frightened  at  her  own  bravery. 

"  Yes,"  said  Tom.  "  Since  you  have  so  fairly 
beaten  me,  its  defender,  tobacco  shall  no  longer 
have  charms  for  me ;  but  I  have  long  had  this 
move  in  contemplation,  for,  as  a  physician,  I  know 
too  well  its  evil  effects." 

"  I  know  an  old  man  ninety-five  years  of  age, 
who  is  hale  and  hearty,  and  who  has  used  tobacco 
all  of  his  life,"  said  Mr.  Craik,  with  a  slight  sneer. 

"  That  may  be  true,  if  you  are  a  physician  and 
have  examined  him,"  said  Tom ;  "  but  the  proba- 
bilities are  that  he  has  his  ills  and  ails,  and  that 
the  vigorous  constitution  which  has  been  able  to 
stand  the  effects  of  the  poison  so  long  would  have 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


155 


been  still  more  vigorous  had  he  never  used  the 
weed. 

"  The  tobacco-heart  is  as  familiar  to  men  of  my 
profession  as  the  rheumatism.  To  be  sure,  we  do 
not  know  just  how  the  poison  affects  the  action 
of  the  heart,  except  as  we  conjecture  through  the 
pernicious  effects  upon  the  blood.  Microscopic 
investigation  shows  us  a  decided  depletion,  by  dis- 
integration of  the  red  corpuscles,  and  an  anaemic 
heart  invariably  follows.  That  is  about  all  we 
know  about  it ;  but  that  should  be  enough  to  cure 
a  physician  of  smoking." 

"  Some  men  stand  this  poison  a  good  many 
years,"  said  Craik,  fondling  his  cigar. 

"  True,"  said  Tom,  turning  so  that  he  could  see 
Craik  fairly;  "some  men  seem  to  thrive  upon  the 
poisons  of  this  world  just  as  some  seem  to  flourish 
in  sin.  I  have  no  desire  to  emulate  people  who 
continually  defy  nature." 

"Well,"  said  Nettie,  inwardly  delighted  at 
Tom's  great  strength  of  character,  "  Dr.  Tillott- 
son,  if  you  are  sure  that  my  influence  does  not 
cause  you  to  renounce  this  pleasure,  I  am  glad  to 
see  you  give  up  smoking ;  but  I  should  prefer  to 
see  you  smoke  rather  than  to  feel  that  I  was  the 
means  of  causing  you  any  inconvenience  or  un- 
happiness. 

"Why,  here  comes  a  boat  with  a  little  boy 
in  it!" 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

"  Yes,"  said  Craik ;  "  it  is  the  boy  from  Oldport 
with  the  New  York  papers.  Van  Dusen  has  them 
sent  to  him  regularly." 

The  boy  threw  the  Sunday  papers  on  board, 
and  they  were  courteously  passed  to  the  ladies, 
who  began  to  read  little  scraps  of  information 
aloud  to  the  gentlemen.  Nettie,  after  reading  a 
variety  of  little  notices,  stumbled  upon  the  fol- 
lowing, which  she  read  to  Craik  and  Tom : 

"  Not  captured  yet.  The  supposed  murderer 
of  Rogers,  the  wealthy  Roman  banker,  is  still  at 
large,  and  has  been  traced  to  this  country  by  able 
detectives,  who  are  employed  by  relatives  and 
friends  of  the  deceased.  It  is  hoped  they  will  be 
successful  in  their  search,  as  he  is  a  desperate 
character  and  an  old  offender,  who,  it  is  said,  is 
wanted  in  England  for  several  offences  of  a  crim- 
inal nature,  including  the  Thames  Bank  robbery, 
which  occurred  two  years  ago.  He  was  known 
in  Rome  as  Antoinne  De  Lacey,  but  claimed  to 
be  an  Englishman.  In  England  he  went  by  the 
name  of  James  Bolan,  or  among  his  pals  as  Gen- 
tleman Jim  ;  and  there  he  claimed  American  birth 
and  parentage.  It  is  rumored  that  he  was  impli- 
cated in,  if  not  the  author  of,  the  great  Capette 
forgery  last  year  in  Paris." 

"  What  a  rascal  he  must  be,"  said  Tom. 

"  Yes,"  said  Craik,  "  but  they  won't  catch  him ; 
they  never  catch  such  clever  scamps." 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"What  dreadful  things  they  put  in  the  papers," 
said  Nettie,  sorry  that  she  had  read  the  paragraph. 

Has  the  reader  ever  contemplated  the  vast 
power  which  surges  behind  the  daily  press?  It 
lies  not  so  much  in  the  many  items  of  news  which 
we  find  there,  as  in  the  mighty  influence  upon  the 
human  mind  through  the  suggestions  of  myriads 
of  ideas.  A  newspaper  is  a  bonanza  of  thought. 
*T,et  us  look  into  one  briefly;  there  seems  to  be 
enough  food  for  contemplation.  Advertisements 
which  suggest  poverty,  sin,  and  suffering.  The 
events  of  yesterday  which  occurred,  perhaps,  upon 
the  other  side  of  the  globe.  Information  of  vessels 
supposed  to  have  been  lost  at  sea ;  accidents  upon 
the  railroads ;  accounts  of  joyous  weddings  and 
sad  funerals;  cases  at  law,  just  and  unjust;  wants 
of  all  descriptions ;  noted  arrivals  and  departures ; 
rumors  of  wars  abroad,  and  verbatim  accounts  of 
the  proceedings  of  our  own  Congress.  How 
hungry  this  monster  called  the  "  Press"  is.  Every 
item  of  news,  no  matter  how  important  or  insig- 
nificant, finds  ready  access  to  its  terrible  maw. 

The  newspaper  is  literary  bread  for  the  poor 
man ;  cheap  mental  food  which  is  growing  more 
and  more  wholesome  as  the  world  advances  in 
knowledge  and  improves  in  morals. 

Newspapers  may  be  compared  to  schoolmasters; 
some  are  narrow  and  so  ill  tempered  that  the 
switch  is  their  main  dependence ;  others  are  calm, 

14 


jeg       A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

dignified,  and  intellectual,  winning  meritorious 
success  by  moral  suasion. 

The  career  of  the  former  class  is  lively  and 
short-lived;  while  the  latter  naturally  become 
the  permanent  pets  of  the  public.  The  former 
overstep  legal  boundaries,  suffer  punishment,  and 
perish;  while  the  latter,  by  justice  and  conserva- 
tism, gain  power  as  they  distribute  knowledge. 
We  think  that  the  newspapers  of  the  future  are 
destined  to  become  the  medium  by  which  human 
interests  are  united  in  a  common  unselfishness. 

During  Nettie's  reading  of  the  above  article, 
Craik  had  appeared  ill  at  ease;  and  had  she 
glanced  up  at  his  face  as  she  finished  she  would 
have  noticed  his  agitation  and  have  taken  alarm 
at  his  appearance;  but  she  calmly  drifted  on  to 
another  article. 

It  happened  also  that  Tom,  who  was  looking  at 
Nettie,  failed  to  observe  his  appearance,  and 
shortly  afterward  Craik,  excusing  himself,  retired  to 
the  cabin  to  write  letters  as  he  said,  and  they  saw 
no  more  of  him  that  day.  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  in  his 
genteel  way,  made  himself  very  agreeable  to  the 
entire  party.  He  was  always  ready  to  supply  fuel 
to  a  lagging  conversation,  and  never  intruded  his 
ideas  when  there  was  no  apparent  demand  for 
them.  His  remarks,  too,  were  so  sprinkled  with 
a  vein  of  honest  good-humor  that  his  guests  were 
charmed  with  him.  He  invited  them  all  for  a  long 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

ocean  sail  upon  the  "  Siren,"  and  named  the  follow- 
ing Tuesday  as  the  day,  thoughtfully  extending 
the  invitation  to  Mrs.  Tillottson  and  her  sister. 
The  invitation  was  gladly  accepted  by  all  present, 
and  shortly  afterward  Tom  and  his  friends  took 
their  departure,  as  it  was  their  intention  to  call 
upon  his  mother  before  returning  to  Cup  Island. 

"What  a  delightful  man  Mr.  Van  Dusen  is," 
«-~said  Belle,  on  their  way  to  Oldport. 

"  He  is,  indeed,"  said  Jack ;  "  he  exercises  such 
excellent  taste  and  judgment  in  the  entertainment 
of  his  guests.  I  shall  never  forget  how  delicate 
he  was  about  asking  the  price  of  a  picture  which 
he  bought  of  me  last  fall ;  he  saw  it  at  the  academy 
exhibition." 

"  Yes,  I  remember  it  well,"  said  Belle ;  "  it  was 
Beatrice,  was  it  not  ?  It  was  at  the  academy  that 
I  first  met  Mr.  Van  Dusen.  For  a  millionaire,  he 
certainly  is  remarkably  considerate  and  unselfish." 

"  I  do  not  exactly  understand,"  said  Jack,  "  how 
he  and  Craik  became  intimate,  they  are  so  very 
different." 

"  Van  Dusen  says  he  was  introduced  to  Craik 
at  his  hotel  in  New  York,"  said  Tom. 


A    SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Mrs.  Tillottson  moves  to  Cup  Island — Bid  as  an  Angler — The 
•  Oldport  Church — Mr.  Kendall  as  a  Philanthropist — Jack  deeply 
Impressed — The  Sermon — The  Serenade. 

MRS.  TILLOTTSON  received  the  party  with  open 
arms  and  a  beaming  countenance.  Almost  her 
first  remark  was,  "  Girls,  we  are  coming  over  to 
the  cottage  to  live ;  I  am  so  much  better  that  I 
feel  perfectly  able  to  do  so.  I  have  engaged  a 
carpenter  to  make  a  few  improvements  so  that  we 
can  all  be  accommodated  and  comfortable.  I  can- 
not endure  being  here  almost  alone  any  longer, 
and  my  appetite  is  getting  so  ravenous  that  I 
should  think  Mrs.  Sandy  would  be  glad  to  see  me 
go." 

Nettie  and  Belle  were  delighted  at  this  piece  of 
news,  and  the  young  men  showed  their  pleasure 
by  offering  to  do  all  sorts  of  little  favors  if  Mrs. 
Tillottson  carried  out  her  resolution. 

"  We  attended  church  here  this  morning,"  she 
continued,  "  and  heard  a  Mr.  Kendall.  He  is  not 
their  regular  pastor;  I  believe  they  have  none, 
but  he  gave  a  very  simple  and  instructive  lesson, 
and  I  was  much  impressed  by  his  sincerity  and 
earnestness ;  but  you  must  now  tell  us  all  about 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

your  day  upon  the  island  and  your  dinner  on  the 
yacht." 

This  they  did  at  once,  informing  her  that  Mr. 
Kendall  was  one  of  the  yachting  party  and  was 
present  at  the  dinner. 

"There  is  to  be  a  service  at  the  little  church 
again  this  evening,  and  he  is  to  preach,"  said  Mrs. 
Tillottson. 

V. 

"  Let  us  all  come  over  and  go,"  said  Nettie. 

This  was  agreed  to,  and  saying  good-by  to  Mrs. 
Tillottson  they  started  for  home,  as  it  was  now 
late  in  the  afternoon. 

"  I  wonder  how  Bid  has  passed  the  day  ?"  said 
Belle  to  Nettie,  as  they  were  being  rowed  over  the 
smooth  water  to  Cup  Island. 

"  I  hope  she  has  not  tried  any  more  boating  ex- 
periments," said  Nettie,  laughing. 

41  There  is  no  danger  of  that,"  said  Jack ;  "  she 
is  too  much  in  mortal  terror  of  the  '  moanin'  say.' " 

On  arriving  at  the  cottage,  however,  Bid  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen.  They  hunted  the  house  over 
without  finding  her ;  then  they  went  to  the  sum- 
mer-house, thinking  that  perhaps  she  had  been 
caught  there,  as  they  had,  by  the  tide,  but  no  Bid 
was  to  be  seen.  Matters  began  to  look  serious. 
The  table  was  carefully  laid  for  tea,  the  kettle  was 
cheerily  singing  in  the  fireplace,  and  there  was 
wood  crackling  on  the  fire,  showing  that  Bid  could 
not  long  have  been  absent  from  the  cottage ;  but 
l  14* 


j62       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

the  island  was  small,  and  they  had  not  succeeded 
in  finding  her,  so  they  began  to  get  apprehensive. 
Jack  left  them  and  went  on  a  tour  of  inspection 
alone.  Soon  he  was  seen  returning  from  the 
direction  of  North  Rock  and  at  the  same  time 
beckoning  them  to  come.  Following  his  lead 
they  at  last  found  Bid  sitting  on  the  sea  side  of 
North  Rock,  with  a  fishing-rod  lying  beside  her, 
fast  asleep.  The  narrow  ledge  upon  which  she 
was  sitting  or  reclining,  with  her  head  resting 
against  the  shelving  wall,  was  so  precariously  situ- 
ated that  Jack  had  not  awakened  her,  fearing  that 
she  would  be  startled  and  fall  into  the  water,  some 
fifteen  feet  below.  There  was  a  short  consultation 
as  to  the  best  method  of  arousing  her,  and  it  was 
at  last  decided  that  it  should  be  by  music.  They 
therefore  began  singing  in  very  low  tones  one  of 
their  favorite  quartettes.  Gradually  increasing  the 
volume  of  sound,  they  were  soon  singing  at  the 
tops  of  their  voices ;  but  Bid  seemed  to  be  charmed 
by  the  music  into  deeper  and  heavier  slumber, 
until  they,  reaching  the  end  of  their  song,  looked 
at  each  other,  puzzled  as  to  how  they  could  accom- 
plish their  design  without  giving  Bid  a  bath  in  the 
briny  deep. 

"  We  must  get  a  rope  around  her,"  said  Tom ; 
"  for  if  she  should  drop  into  the  water  she  would 
drown ;  it  is  very  deep  there." 

Jack  rushed  back  to  the  cottage  and  brought  a 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

long,  new  clothes-line ;  then  the  two  young  men, 
by  tying  the  end  of  the  clothes-line  to  a  fish-line, 
dexterously  slipping  a  fish-pole  under  Bid,  then 
tying  a  slip-knot  in  such  a  way  that  it  formed  a 
noose,  soon  had  poor  Bid  so  secured  that  they 
could  hold  her  up  by  hanging  on  to  the  other  end 
of  the  line. 

N  "  Now,"  said  Jack,  in  a  low  tone,  "  all  take  hold 
of  the  line,  so ;  that's  it.  Now  hold  tight  and  I 
will  call  her." 

"  Bid !     Oh,  Bid !" 

Bid  opened  her  eyes  quickly,  and,  seeing  her- 
self between  heaven  and  water,  gave  a  start  and 
slid  off  of  the  ledge,  just  as  they  had  feared  and 
expected ;  but  the  rope  tightening,  they  held  her 
dangling,  screaming,  and  kicking  just  above  the 
water.  Jack  roared,  and  Tom  could  not  help 
laughing;  but  the  girls  were  frightened,  for  the 
strain  upon  their  arms  as  Bid's  by  no  means 
feather  weight  tightened  the  rope  was  not  easy 
for  them  to  endure. 

"Tom,  do  hurry  and  pull  her  up,"  said  Belle. 
"  I  can't  hold  on  any  longer." 

"All  right,"  said  Tom.  "Jack  and  I  can  hold 
her ;  you  two  can  let  go,"  which  they  did. 

"  Bid,"  said  Tom,  shouting  over  the  edge  of  the 
rock, — "  Bid,  is  that  you  down  there  ?" 

"  Oh,  Misther  Tarm  !  Misther  Tarm  !"  screamed 
Bid,  at  the  top  of  her  voice ;  "  oi  thought  oi  was 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

dead  entirely.  Sure,  an'  is  it  you,  your  dear  self, 
Misther  Tarm,  or  am  oi  drameing  the  wurest 
drame  of  me  loife  ?" 

"  What  are  you  doing  down  there  ?"  shouted 
Tom. 

"  Sure,  it's  meeself  that  don't  know,"  said  Bid. 
"  Oh,  Misther  Tarm,  save  me,  save  me  from  the 
depths  av  the  moanin'  say !" 

"  Let's  pull  her  up,"  said  Jack,  who  was  laugh- 
ing so  hard  that  he  feared  his  strength  might  sud- 
denly leave  him. 

"All  right,"  said  Tom;  "pull  away."  But  it 
was  not  as  easy  as  they  had  imagined ;  for  by  the 
time  they  had  fairly  landed  Bid  on  top  of  North 
Rock  they  were  both  out  of  breath  and  nearly 
exhausted,  poor  Bid  being  almost  dead  with  fright 
and  probably  bruised  in  more  places  than  one. 
The  girls  delivered  her  from  the  embrace  of  the 
clothes-line,  explanations  followed,  and  they  all 
returned  to  the  cottage. 

"Sure,  oi  was  troing  me  luck  at  the  fish  an' 
felled  ashleep  entirely,"  said  Bid. 

In  the  evening,  shortly  after  tea,  they  took  the 
little  boat  again  and  returned  to  Oldport,  walking 
to  the  little  church,  which  stood  upon  a  country 
road  not  far  from  the  post-office.  It  was  not  an 
imposing-looking  edifice,  and,  save  a  long  shed 
for  the  accommodation  of  horses,  it  stood  alone. 
The  building  was  of  wood,  plain,  and  square,  with 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.   jg^ 

a  small  steeple  and  belfry  on  one  end  of  the  roof, 
which,  as  our  friends  drew  near,  was  sending  forth 
the  doleful  notes  of  a  cracked  bell,  while  on  the 
inside  of  the  door-way  below  a  stoop-shouldered 
young  man  of  cadaverous  mien  was  producing 
the  sounds  by  vigorous  pulls  upon  a  bell-rope. 
On  the  wooden  steps  leading  to  the  church  stood 
•and  sat,  in  little  groups,  a  number  of  the  village 
swains,  dressed  in  clothes  to  which  they  evidently 
were  but  one-seventh  accustomed. 

Tom  and  Nettie  led  the  way  into  the  building, 
noticing  as  they  entered  a  powerful  odor  of  kero- 
sene, which  was  given  off  by  the  two  or  three  old- 
fashioned  lamps  suspended  by  wires  from  the  ceil- 
ing; and  their  steps,  as  they  tramped  over  the 
bare  boards  of  the  floor,  sounded  hollow  and  loud, 
attracting  the  curious  attention  of  the  few  people 
already  assembled. 

After  they  were  fairly  seated  upon  a  wooden 
bench,  cushionless,  and  with  a  back  which  touched 
only  at  one  point  near  the  shoulders,  and  had  be- 
come somewhat  accustomed  to  the  staring  match 
which  ensued,  they  were  able  to  make  a  few 
mental  notes  of  their  surroundings.  The  apart- 
ment was,  perhaps,  forty  feet  long  from  door  to 
pulpit,  and  thirty  feet  the  other  way.  In  it  were 
two  rows  of  straight-backed  wooden  benches, 
while  facing  the  audience,  and  to  the  left  of  the 
pulpit,  which,  by  the  way,  consisted  of  a  table 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

somewhat  resembling  an  old-fashioned  wash-stand, 
were  two  benches  upon  which  sat  the  choir.  The 
choir  consisted  of  six  members.  The  leader,  a 
man  of  perhaps  fifty-three  or  fifty-four  summers, 
was  immediately  recognized  by  our  friends  as  Mr. 
Sandy,  the  postmaster.  Beside  him,  upon  the 
same  bench,  sat  a  middle-aged  woman  dressed  in  a 
gown  of  sage-green  color,  and  ornamented  at  the 
neck  by  a  large  pink  bow.  She  was  of  fair  com- 
plexion, puffy  cheeks,  and  tapered  rather  con- 
spicuously from  her  hips  to  the  narrow  tip  of  her 
conical  straw  hat.  To  the  observer  in  front  her 
position  was  apparently  not  a  secure  one,  for  as 
her  feet  failed  to  reach  the  church-floor  she 
seemed  in  imminent  danger  of  sliding  off  the 
bench.  We  will  quiet  the  anxiety  of  the  reader 
by  the  assurance  that  no  such  calamity  occurred. 
This  lady  and  Mr.  Sandy,  who  were  evidently  the 
leading  vocalists,  were  busily  engaged  in  consulta- 
tion over  a  hymn-book  and  in  dictating  to  their 
companions  upon  the  bench. 

At  last  notice  having  been  given  to  sing  the  one 
hundred  and  sixty-third  hymn  by  Mr.  Kendall, 
who  had  arrived  and  taken  his  seat  at  the  wash- 
stand,  the  choir  arose ;  Mr.  Sandy  fumbled  in  his 
vest-pocket  awhile,  finally  producing  a  tuning-fork, 
which  he  tapped  sharply  against  the  heel  of  his 
boot,  and  taking  the  cue  from  that  he  began  in  a 
harsh  voice  to  lead  the  choir. 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.        ify 

We  will  not  attempt  to  describe  the  music  which 
followed.  The  sentiment  of  the  hymn  was  good. 
Perhaps  the  verbiage  might  have  been  a  little  ex- 
travagant :  we  remember  something  about  "  bleed- 
ing hearts,"  "  conquering  heroes,"  "  golden  streets," 
and  "  bowels  yearning,"  and  the  superlatives  might 
have  been  a  trifle  numerous;  but  adjectives  are  a 
great  resource  in  the  country,  particularly  in  a 
country  church.  The  music  we  pass  over  with  a 
sigh.  There  are  moments  in  the  lives  of  all  which 
cannot  be  lived  over  perfectly  in  words.  Our 
friends  were  too  much  overcome  to  add  their 
voices  to  the  harmony;  besides,  they  were  un- 
familiar with  the  air.  Not  so,  however,  the 
vigorous  congregation ;  they  sang  as  though  they 
thought  they  never  would  be  allowed  that  blessed 
privilege  again  ;  opening  their  by  no  means  delicate 
mouths  to  their  fullest  extent,  they  emitted  a 
volume  of  sound  which  seemed  to  almost  loosen 
the  rafters  of  the  edifice. 

Jack  was  visibly  affected;  the  corners  of  his 
mouth  were  restless,  twitching  spasmodically,  and 
Belle,  his  neighbor,  who  noticed  the  evident  emo- 
tion, was  in  painful  apprehension  lest  he  should 
audibly  give  vent  to  his  pent-up  feelings,  when 
suddenly  the  music  ceased,  the  people  subsided 
into  their  seats,  there  was  the  customary  rustling 
of  dresses,  scuffling  of  feet,  and  clearing  of 
throats,  until  Mr.  Kendall  rising  from  his  chair, 


!68       ^   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

and  thereby  commanding  silence,  quietly  began 
his  address. 

The  sermon  was  a  friendly  talk  rather  than  an 
elaborate  essay,  and  our  listeners  gave  Mr.  Kendall 
great  credit  for  discretion  on  this  occasion.  He 
tried  to  show  the  simple,  hard-working  people  be- 
fore him  the  intimate  connection  between  God  and 
His  works.  He  likened  the  roaring  of  the  sea  to 
the  voice  of  the  Almighty  warning  sinners  to  re- 
pent ere  it  was  too  late  ;  quite  a  novel  and  practical 
comparison,  and  one  which  was  no  doubt  remem- 
bered by  some  of  the  fishermen  present  to  their 
advantage.  He  dwelt  upon  the  generous  good- 
ness of  God,  as  evidenced  by  the  ease  with  which 
man  may  stretch  forth  his  hand  and  be  fed  and 
clothed.  "  He  may  drop,"  said  he,  "  a  line  into 
the  sea  and  it  will  bring  forth  the  nourishing  fish, 
or  he  may  drop  a  seed  into  the  soil,  and  it  will 
bring  forth  the  succulent  fruit,  such  is  the  thought- 
fulness  of  divine  Providence.  God,  however,  is 
impatient  of  the  slothful  man  and  will  not  abide 
the  man  who  is  sinful.  He  has  given  us  a  few 
laws  to  govern  our  conduct  toward  each  other 
and  Himself;  if  we  observe  these  laws,  which  you 
all  know  are  the  Ten  Commandments,  we  shall 
all  reach  heaven." 

It  was  a  simple  discourse,  delivered  in  a  frank, 
brotherly  manner,  and  it  was  easy  to  see  that  it 
made  the  right  impression.  Our  friends  were 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        ^g 

somewhat  surprised  at  the  absence  of  arrogance, 
so  noticeable  at  dinner  upon  the  "  Siren."  Jack  was 
pleased  with  the  minister's  way  of  talking  to  the 
Oldport  people,  and  liked  him  better  for  the  sin- 
cerity which  was  so  evident  in  his  manner.  Mr. 
Kendall,  like  all  poor  mortals,  had  his  faults,  but 
he  was  a  worker. 

^  Some  very  worthy  people,  most  valuable  too  in 
the  busy  bustle  of  the  world,  make  a  poor  appear- 
ance at  a  dinner.  Mr.  Kendall's  mission  in  the 
world  was  to  do  good.  He  did  it.  Among  plain 
folks  he  was  at  his  ease.  Highly  educated  and 
reared  in  refinement,  he  seldom  found  it  difficult 
when  in  intercourse  with  people  below  him  in 
mental  culture  to  adopt  a  manner  appropriate  to 
the  spirit  of  his  subject  and  his  listener.  This  he 
did  naturally  and  without  thought,  because  policy 
was  as  foreign  to  his  nature  as  was  the  inception 
and  assimilation  of  some  of  Tom's  radical  ideas. 
He  was  a  man  of  ruts.  Tom's  theories  fell  like  seed 
in  a  sandy  and  unfertile  soil ;  they  were  not  indi- 
genous, and  therefore  could  not  flourish.  They 
produced  glimmerings  of  light  in  his  mental  hori- 
zon for  the  time  being,  which  were  welcomed  as  the 
eye  greets  pyrotechnics,  but  like  the  pyrotechnics 
they  fleeted  away,  and  time  soon  obliterated  most 
of  their  glory,  leaving  only  a  pleasant  recollec- 
tion. 

Mr.  Kendall's  apparent  arrogance  at  the  dinner 
H  15 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

was  simply  the  reflex  action  of  an  attempt  to  ap- 
pear natural.  He  was  nervously  anxious  upon  the 
subjects  which  were  discussed,  feeling  in  a  measure 
responsible  for  whatever  results  might  accrue.  To 
battle  with  pyrrhonism  or  calmly  dissect  re- 
ligious dogmas  which  had  imbued  his  mind  for 
years  was  impossible. 

The  world  is  full  of  similar  minds.  Our  theo- 
logical seminaries  are  annually  turning  out  hun- 
dreds of  such  young  men  with  the  college  cur- 
riculum frozen  into  the  very  marrow  of  their 
ethical  bones;  wholesale  thinking-machines  from 
a  common  pattern,  warranted  to  turn  out  other 
thinking-machines  by  the  simple  turning  of  a 
lingual  crank ;  young  men  who  learn  surface-logic 
and  mental  science  by  a  stencil  process,  a  sort  of 
photographic  manual,  consisting  of  a  positive 
college  faculty  and  a  negative  diploma-seeker. 
Will  the  present  optional  departure  ameliorate 
this  machine  system  ?  Let  us  wait  patiently  and 
see.  Perhaps  it  is  a  step  in  the  right  direction ; 
it  is  certainly  God's  method  of  dealing  with  His 
children.  Why  should  not  we  hold  as  hallowed 
the  precious  will  of  man  ? 

"  What  is  your  opinion  of  the  sermon  ?"  Belle 
asked  of  Jack,  as  they  strolled  along  the  moon-lit 
road  in  the  direction  of  Oldport. 

"  It  reminded  me,"  said  Jack,  between  the  puffs 
of  a  permitted  cigar,  "  it  reminded  me  of  a  well- 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        l^l 

drawn  study  of  a  sunset  at  sea  in  gray.  Color 
was  lacking,  but  the  simple  outlines  were  good." 

"  But  did  you  notice  the  rapt  attention  and 
respectful  deference  which  Mr.  Kendall  seemed  to 
command  from  the  Oldport  people  ?"  asked  Belle. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Jack,  "  and  no  doubt  the 
plain  truths  sank  deeply  and  for  the  first  time  into 
some  of  their  souls ;  but,  you  see,  I  am  not  a  native 
of  Oldport,  and  Mr.  Kendall  was  not  aiming  his 
shafts  at  me.  I  need  color.  Now,  Tom's  remarks 
to-day  at  dinner  were  full  of  color  and  brilliancy, 
and  they  were  so  fresh  and  new  that  my  very  soul 
was  stirred  and  thirsts  now  for  more.  He  has 
never  forced  his  opinions  upon  me,  or  I  might 
have  laughed  at  them ;  but  when  I  saw  how 
thoroughly  they  harmonized  with  the  naturalistic 
knowledge  of  Professor  Romney,  how  they  seemed 
to  formulate  or  open  out  a  new  science  of  ethics, 
which  might  justly  be  called  Physico-theology ; 
how  in  accepting  religion  one  may  cling  all  the 
more  dutifully  to  science  and  art ;  my  very  heart 
was  touched  and  I  loved  the  dear  boy  more  than 
ever.  You  must  indeed  be  proud  of  such  a 
brother." 

"  It  is  doubly  pleasant,"  said  Belle,  who  felt 
tears  in  her  eyes,  "  to  hear  my  brother  spoken  of 
so  affectionately,  and  you  can  rest  assured  that 
Tom  is  equally  ardent  in  his  affection  for  you,  for 
there  are  no  half-way  stations  in  his  heart,  although 


172 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


by  nature  he  is  not  perhaps  quite  so  demonstra- 
tive." 

"  It  is  strange,"  said  Jack,  after  a  short  pause, 
during  which  the  stillness  of  the  Sabbath  evening 
was  unbroken  save  by  the  pattering  of  their  feet 
upon  the  roadway  and  the  industrious  music  of 
the  insect  world.  "  I  have  been  somewhat  of  a 
reader,  and  have  partially  digested  the  majority  of 
our  modern  writers ;  but  the  web  of  philosophy 
which  I  had  woven  was  completely  carried  away 
before  the  little  puff  of  wisdom  from  Tom's  noddle 
to-day.  It  is  very  strange." 

"  No,  not  so  very  strange,"  said  Belle,  feelingly ; 
"  for  Tom  has  also  been  an  industrious  reader,  and 
he  has  imbibed  a  great  many  of  his  ideas  from  my 
father,  who  was  a  man  very  much  like  Tom." 

"  What  struck  me  as  sublime,"  Jack  replied, 
"was  that  idea  of  prefiguration  which  he  ad- 
vanced. The  figurative  language  of  nature  is  so 
very  apparent,  it  so  fills  and  satisfies  the  desires  of 
the  soul,  that  it  is  unconsciously  acknowledged  by 
the  great  masses  of  humanity,  both  in  their  speech 
and  actions.  I  suppose  that  the  very  words  of 
language  were  borrowed  by  man  from  nature  in 
some  way  as  a  means  of  expressing  his  thoughts." 

"  Yes,"  said  Tom,  who  with  Nettie  was  now 
close  behind  them  and  had  overheard  Jack's  last 
words ;  "  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,  for  the  sounds  of 
certain  words  are  identical  with  those  we  hear  in 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


173 


nature.  We  speak  of  the  coo  of  a  dove,  for  in- 
stance. Here  coo  is  the  very  sound  which  the 
dove  makes.  It  is  the  same  with  the  mew  of  a 
kitten,  the  twitting  of  the  birds,  the  caw  of  a  crow, 
the  roar  of  a  lion,  the  hiss  of  a  serpent,  the  babble 
of  a  brook,  and  so  on  ad  infinitum.  Some  birds 
and  animals  are  named  from  the  sounds  which 
,they  produce, — the  pee-wee,  for  instance,  or  the 
whippoorwill,  humming-bird,  etc." 

"  If  it  is  a  fact,"  said  Jack,  "  that  we  borrow  all 
of  our  ideas  from  nature " 

"  Oh,  no,"  interrupted  Tom ;  "  it  is  not  so ;  we 
no  doubt  have  borrowed  sounds  from  nature  to 
express  our  thoughts,  but  it  is  not  so  always; 
with  ideas  it  is  different.  An  idea  is  spiritual ;  it 
is  more  subtle ;  it  is  superior  to  nature ;  neverthe- 
less each  particular  thing  or  object  in  nature  has 
its  corresponding  spiritual  idea." 

"  Can  you  illustrate  that  statement  ?"  said  Jack, 
somewhat  doubtingly. 

"  Certainly,"  said  Tom.  "  I  say  that  every  phe- 
nomenon or  all  combined  phenomena  in  nature — 
and  the  combinations  are  infinite — are  but  corre- 
spondences of  spiritual  ideas  ;  for  instance,  animals 
may  be  divided  into  two  kinds :  those  which  are 
gentle  and  harmless  and  those  which  are  ferocious 
and  dangerous.  The  former,  we  readily  see,  are 
correspondences  of  our  ideas  (spiritual)  of  good- 
ness; the  very  words  gentle  and  harmless  are 

15* 


A   SUMMER  IN   OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

ideas.  A  lamb,  we  say,  is  gentle ;  a  dog  reminds 
us  of  faithfulness,  the  dove  of  innocence  or  love, 
and  so  on.  On  the  other  hand,  the  vicious  ani- 
mals correspond  to  phases  contrary  to  goodness, 
or  phases  of  evil.  You  would  hesitate  to  say  that 
a  man  was  as  good  as  a  wolf,  or  as  gentle  as  a 
hyena,  for  these  animals  both  correspond  to  evil 
ideas  ;  you  would  say  instead  that  he  was  as  gentle 
as  a  lamb,  or  if  you  did  not  get  your  correspond- 
ence from  the  animal  kingdom  in  nature,  you 
would  choose  it  from  the  vegetable  or  mineral,  in 
which  case  you  would  say  that  the  man  was  as 
honest  or  true  as  steel.  Young  ladies  are  said  to 
be  sweet  as  roses." 

"  I  begin  to  get  your  meaning,"  said  Jack. 
"  Man  is  in  a  sort  of  equilibrium  between  good 
and  evil,  and  by  his  freedom  of  will  may  choose 
the  one  or  the  other." 

"  Exactly,"  said  Tom.  "  The  natural  around  us 
is  a  perfect  correspondence — but  on  a  lower  plane 
— of  the  spiritual  world,  and  man  is  in  equilibrium 
between  them.  This  equilibrium  is,  as  you  have 
hinted,  his  freedom  or  his  free  will ;  his  body  is 
on  the  natural  plane,  but  his  soul  is  spiritual,  on 
a  higher  plane.  He  is  constantly  surrounded  with 
things  evil  and  good,  but,  being  in  equilibrium,  he 
has  the  power  to  choose  only  that  which  suits  his 
tastes;  an  evil  man  chooses  evil  things,  a  good 
man  good  things." 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.        1y$ 

"  Why  was  he  not  made  with  power  only  to 
choose  the  good  things  ?"  asked  Jack. 

"  Animals  or  the  brutes  of  creation  are  so  made," 
said  Tom ;  "  but  man  is  made  king  of  them  all  by 
virtue  of  his  free  will." 

"  Then,  why  is  it  that  he  falls  ?"  said  Jack. 

"  Because  he  possesses  freedom  of  choice,"  said 
Tom.  "  He  is  made  after  the  image  of  his  Maker, 
with  free  determination,  and  therefore  he  is  led, 
not  forced,  by  the  Lord,  through  conscience,  only 
up  to  that  point  where  his  freedom  would  be  in- 
terfered with.  A  horse  has  no  freedom." 

"  I  think  it  is  clear  to  me  now,"  said  Jack. 

"  It  was  always  clear  to  me,"  said  Nettie.  "  I 
was  taught  to  put  my  trust  in  divine  Providence, 
but  have  always  known  that  it  was  in  my  power 
to  break  the  commandments  if  I  so  desired." 

"  You  women  are  different  from  men  in  many 
respects,"  said  Jack.  "  Sometimes  it  will  take  a 
man  years  to  master  a  single  thought  which  a 
woman  will  imbibe  by  intuition  in  a  moment." 

"  Perhaps  that  is  so,"  said  Nettie ;  "  but  it  is 
certain,  I  think,  that  women  cannot  so  readily  put 
their  thoughts  or  intuitions,  as  you  call  them,  into 
words ;  of  course,  I  mean  on  the  serious  subjects 
of  life." 

"  That  may  be,"  said  Jack,  laughing,  "  because 
words  after  all  are  very  superficial,  and  inade- 
quately express  our  ideas." 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

We  hope  the  reader  will  not  form  a  poor  opinion 
of  the  doctor.  He  was,  like  a  great  many  other 
young  men  of  his  day,  given  to  the  serious  con- 
templation of  subjects  about  which,  perhaps,  it 
were  as  well  if  some  men  did  not  think  at  all. 
His  mind  was  so  constituted  that  it  wanted  a  reason 
for  all  things.  If  an  atheist  said,  "There  is  no 
God,"  Tom  would  respect  his  assertion  only  so  far 
as  the  atheist  could  back  it  up  by  good  reasoning; 
if  an  agnostic  insisted  that  men  have  no  right  to 
freely  assert  a  belief  in  the  supernatural  and  spir- 
itual, Tom  would  accuse  him  of  the  very  posi- 
tivism which  he  condemned  in  others,  and  by  which 
he  claimed  a  title  to  the  name  agnostic.  Pessimism 
shared  a  like  fate  under  Tom's  rigid  cross-exami- 
nation. He  believed  in  a  perfect  God,  as  impartial 
as  the  sun  is  with  its  rays,  and  as  constant ;  as  the 
earth  turns  away  from  the  sun,  so  Tom  believed 
that  men  turn  away  from  God,  the  immutable. 

Perhaps  he  would  have  made  as  good  a  lawyer 
as  he  did  a  physician,  although  he  applied  the 
same  method  in  the  diagnosis  of  disease, — viz., 
judgment  by  exclusion. 

There  are  some  who  think  that  this  faculty  of 
weighing  carefully  every  logical  conclusion  is,  in 
a  young  man,  an  unpardonable  assumption.  We 
know  a  venerable  old  gentleman,  long  and  deeply 
studied  in  mental  science,  who  will  not  listen 
patiently  to  an  argument  which  does  not  begin  by 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


177 


assuming  as  true  a  "  fundamental  principle"  with 
which  he  is  familiar  or  in  concord.  Now,  Tom 
would  probably  dig  away  at  these  fundamental 
principles  or  foundations  until  he  had  reached  the 
bottom  and  satisfied  himself  that  there  were  no 
flaws  there.  Can  we  blame  him  for  this  ?  On  the 
contrary,  we  are  inclined  to  indulge  the  boy  in  his 
iiobby ;  it  may  in  time  lead  him  into  fields  of  real 
wisdom,  public  lands  overflowing  with  the  milk 
and  honey  of  erudition.  By  timid  steps  the  infant 
pedestrians  first  totter  upon  their  mother-earth,  yet 
how  indulgent  we  are  with  the  little  darlings  in 
their  scamperings ;  how  well  we  know  that  en- 
couragement is  all  they  want,  in  order,  some  day, 
to  become  expert  upon  their  feet.  Let  us  indulge 
Tom ;  he  will  grow  in  time  beyond  the  feeble 
efforts  which  we  now  see  him  making.  He  is 
tottering  in  the  right  direction,  and  after  all,  dear 
reader,  are  we  not  all  totterers  in  the  great  mother- 
world  of  ideas?  Now  let  us  rejoin  our  young 
people. 

The  night  was  perfect,  the  air  redolent  with  the 
sweet  odor  of  new-mown  hay ;  the  clear  light  of 
the  moon,  the  lively  incessant  chorus  of  insect 
voices,  and  the  anthems  of  the  frogs,  all  of  these 
things  seemed  to  raise  their  spirits  as  they  strolled 
homeward  along  the  winding  country  road. 

It  was  equally  delightful  on  the  harbor.  As 
they  pulled  the  boat  past  the  "  Siren"  they  sang  a 


!78       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

beautiful  quartette  serenade,  and  were  vigorously 
applauded  by  the  party  of  yachtsmen. 

Then  the  gentlemen  on  the  "  Siren"  endeavored  to 
return  the  compliment  by  singing  a  chorus,  igno- 
miniously  failed,  but  nevertheless  were  heartily 
applauded  by  our  young  friends  in  the  row-boat. 

Mr.  Van  Dusen  shouted  from  the  yacht,  "Ship 
a-ho-oo-y !" 

"  Hello  there !"  shouted  Jack,  with  his  vigorous 
young  voice,  in  reply. 

"  Lay  to  and  show  your  colors  !"  said  Van  Dusen. 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,  lay  to  she  is !"  screamed  Tom. 

"  What  ship  is  that,  and  where  bound  ?"  some- 
body shouted  from  the  yacht. 

"  This  is  the  '  Pigmy' !"  Belle  screamed  in  reply. 
"  From  Ancientville,  bound  for  the  happy  land  o' 
Caanan  with  a  cargo  of  mammoths !  Who  are 
you  ?" 

But  the  reply  came  to  them  so  faintly,  owing  to 
a  puff  of  wind  from  a  contrary  direction,  that  it 
was  lost  upon  the  waters  and  they  heard  it  not. 
As  they  proceeded,  however,  on  their  course  to 
the  island,  a  beautiful  rocket,  shot  over  their  heads 
and  bursting  high  in  the  zenith,  sent  an  expansive 
spray  of  colored  sparks  slowly  drifting  above 
them,  and  mingling  a  thousand  bright  reflections 
with  the  shimmering  moonlight  upon  the  waters 
below.  Then,  at  a  signal  from  Jack,  they  gave 
three  rousing  cheers  for  the  "  Siren,"  which  were 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

heartily  returned  from  the  yacht,  when  stillness 
once  more  reigned  upon  the  pretty  bay,  and  Nep- 
tune's kingdom  was  allowed  to  sleep  in  peace. 
Thus  ended  happily  their  first  Sunday  upon  Cup 
Island. 


^  CHAPTER    IX. 

Mr.  Dexter's  Condition  improves — Augustus  Campion — A  Suc- 
cessful Lawyer — Employing  a  Detective — Mr.  Bangs  sails  for 
Europe — Ferris  and  his  Labors — Mr.  Dexter  able  to  write. 

As  time  dragged  slowly  on  with  Mr.  Dexter,  his 
condition  gradually  but  slowly  improved ;  his  phy- 
sician gave  him  daily  encouragement,  holding  out 
hopes  of  his  ultimate  recovery,  provided  he  avoided 
all  undue  excitement  and  exertion.  He  had  al- 
ready quite  recovered  the  use  of  his  hands  and 
arms,  but  his  speech  still  continued  so  imperfect 
that  he  was  obliged  to  write  all  of  his  communi- 
cations and  desires  upon  a  slate.  About  a  week 
after  his  affliction  his  nurse,  a  young  lady  of  pleas- 
ing manners  and  appearance,  was  reading  to  him 
from  a  newspaper,  when  she  happened  upon  the 
same  article  which  we  have  heard  his  niece  read 
to  Mr.  Craik  and  Tom  on  board  of  the  "  Siren." 
Mr.  Dexter  was  greatly  excited  when  she  finished 
and  motioned  for  the  slate,  writing  upon  it  his 
desire  to  see  his  lawyer,  Mr.  Campion,  at  once. 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

Augustus  Campion,  LL.D.,  senior  partner  of 
the  firm  of  Campion  &  Bangs,  sat  at  his  desk  in- 
dustriously formulating  a  brief.  Half  buried  in 
papers,  he  seemed  to  know  by  instinct  just  where 
each  one  could  be  found ;  some  were  piled  upon 
his  desk  in  front  of  him,  some  were  pigeon-holed 
to  the  right,  some  to  the  left,  while  a  huge  collec- 
tion lay  indiscriminately  upon  the  broad  window- 
sill  at  his  elbow.  He  was  a  man  of  enormous 
stature,  square  of  shoulders,  and  large-limbed. 
At  first  glance  he  reminded  the  observer  of  a 
huge  mastiff  of  dangerous  aspect,  but  closer  scru- 
tiny revealed  a  mildness  in  his  deep  blue  eyes,  an 
amiable  expression  about  his  mouth,  which  per- 
petually smiled,  which  soon  put  such  a  notion  to 
shameful  flight. 

An  irresistible  agency  drew  one  toward  this 
colossus.  His  mild  eyes  carrying  in  them  a  gaze 
of  interested  inquiry,  the  cordial  grasp  of  his 
warm,  dry  hand,  and  the  assuring  welcome  which 
characterized  the  mellow  tones  of  his  voice,  were 
sure  to  charm  his  visitor  into  an  unconscious  ad- 
miration of  the  man. 

Mr.  Campion  had  the  reputation  of  being  the 
best  cross-questioner  in  the  State.  An  obstinate 
witness,  no  matter  how  hostile  when  first  put  upon 
the  stand,  soon  became  friendly  toward  this  huge 
mass  of  good-nature  in  spite  of  himself.  His 
smile  was  worth  a  dozen  bribes  to  a  jury.  It  may 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        igl 

therefore  be  inferred  that  Mr.  Campion  was  a  suc- 
cessful man.  Yes,  Mr.  Campion  was  successful, 
for  in  addition  to  his  power  as  a  court  lawyer  he 
was  a  cool  and  level-headed  thinker;  but  the  real, 
the  main  reason  for  his  success  was  his  conscien- 
tiousness. He  never  hesitated  to  refuse  to  defend 
injustice,  cruelty,  dishonesty,  or  crime.  Those 
were  qualities  which  he  would  not  tolerate  in  a 
client ;  but  he  was  ever  ready  and  eager  to  enter 
the  lists  against  them,  and  thus  he  acquired  a  rep- 
utation for  fairness  and  skill  which  brought  the 
firm  of  Campion  &  Bangs  as  much  business  as 
they  could  well  attend  to. 

Such  was  the  man  in  whom  Mr.  Dexter  had 
placed  his  trust.  Slow  to  give  advice  until  he  had 
carefully  sifted  all  the  points  in  evidence,  none 
could  be  more  energetic  when  action  was  impera- 
tive or  more  prompt  in  emergencies.  Let  us  ac- 
company him  to  the  bedside  of  his  friend. 

He  found  Mr.  Dexter  much  better  than  he  had 
seemed  at  his  last  visit,  a  few  days  previous.  Mr. 
Dexter  had  given  him  Mr.  Wigand's  letter  on  a 
former  occasion,  and  had  instructed  him  to  corre- 
spond with  the  attorneys  at  Rome  in  whose  hands 
was  the  settlement  of  young  Dexter's  estate ;  now 
he  showed  him  the  newspaper  article,  which  the 
lawyer  read  through  carefully. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  saw  the  same  account  in 
yesterday  morning's  paper." 

16 


A    SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

Mr.  Dexter  then  took  his  slate  and  wrote, — 

"  I  want  to  employ  detectives  and  hunt  this 
rascal  down." 

Mr.  Campion  meditated  a  moment.  "  If  he  has 
escaped  to  this  country,"  said  he,  "  I  think  he  will 
probably  be  found  in  New  York  City,  or  in  some 
one  of  our  large  cities.  If  that  is  the  case,  one 
good  detective  will  soon  find  him.  There  is  a 
Chicago  man,  a  detective,  whom  I  have  employed 
before,  by  the  name  of  Ferris.  He  is  very  careful, 
and  an  expert ;  if  you  think  best  I  will  employ 
him  at  once." 

"I  do,"  wrote  Mr.  Dexter;  "but  do  you  think 
one  man  will  be  sufficient  ?" 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  the  lawyer.  "  You  know 
there  are  English  detectives  on  his  track  already. 
The  New  York  police  are  also  on  the  lookout  for 
him,  and  I  am  informed  that  Wigand,  your  son's 
partner,  has  offered  a  large  reward  for  his  capture. 
Ferris  has  had  a  long  experience  in  tracking  crim- 
inals, and  I  think  he  is  just  the  man  for  our  work." 

"  Very  well,  Camp,"  wrote  Mr.  Dexter,  "  employ 
him  at  once.  Have  you  written  to  Rome  ?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mr.  Campion,  "  and  Bangs  has 
sailed  to-day  for  Europe.  I  decided  that  it  was 
best  for  him  to  go,  as  foreign  interests,  particularly 
of  that  nature,  are  more  satisfactorily  settled  upon 
the  spot.  He  will  wire  us  and  write  full  particu- 
lars as  soon  as  he  arrives  in  Rome.  Do  you  wish 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

Nettie  informed  of  her  recent  inheritance,  or  do 
you  prefer  to  wait  a  while  ?" 

"  I  shall  improve  now  rapidly,  I  think,"  wrote 
Mr.  Dexter;  "so  it  will  be  better  to  wait  until  I 
am  stronger  before  writing  her  anything  about  it. 
She  will  enjoy  her  visit  better  if  she  knows  noth- 
ing. She  is  not  one  of  the  kind  to  rejoice  at  her 
owjn  good  fortune  when  she  hears  of  her  cousin's 
death  or  that  her  uncle  is  ill.  I  know  her  true, 
tender  heart  too  well  to  inflict  any  sorrow  upon 
her  that  can  possibly  be  helped."  Here  Mr.  Dex- 
ter was  overcome  by  his  feelings  and  the  exertion 
of  writing  and  lay  back  upon  his  pillow  exhausted. 

"  I  know ;  I  know,"  said  the  attorney,  sympa- 
thetically, after  reading  the  message.  "  Nettie  has 
a  kind  heart  and  an  affectionate  disposition.  She 
is  a  dear,  good  girl  and  free  from  guile." 

Then  stating  that  he  had  much  business  to  at- 
tend to,  and  tenderly  pressing  his  friend's  hand, 
he  hastily  took  his  departure.  A  few  days  after 
this  interview  Ferris,  the  Chicago  detective,  was 
in  private  conference  with  Augustus  Campion  in 
the  inner  office  of  Campion  &  Bangs,  and  the  same 
evening  he  hastened  to  New  York,  where  he  began 
his  search  for  Jim  Bolan,  alias  Gentleman  Jim, 
alias  Antoinne  DeLacey. 

Ferris  did  not  savor  of  the  detective  to  the 
casual  observer.  He  was  not  a  person  to  attract 
attention,  and  would  naturally  pass  for  an  ordinary 


1 84 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR, 


business  man.  He  was  of  medium  height,  and, 
when  not  disguised,  had  a  round  smooth  face,  with 
a  light-colored  moustache.  His  eyes  were  brown 
and  wide  open,  as  were  his  ears.  The  small,  glit- 
tering black  eyes,  so  commonly  associated  with 
the  detective,  were  not  his.  One  of  his  first  acts 
was  to  visit  the  rogues'  gallery,  where  he  searched 
carefully  among  the  pictures  for  one  which  might 
resemble  that  which  he  carried  in  his  pocket  of 
Bolan.  He  then  inspected  the  prisoners  in  the 
jails  of  the  city ;  unsuccessful  here,  he  visited  the 
hotels,  copying  off  a  long  list  of  foreign  names 
which  had  been  registered  at  about  the  time  when 
DeLacey  would  probably  have  arrived  in  America. 
Then  began  a  long  search  in  which  he  traced  the 
course  of  some  of  these  foreigners  who  had  re- 
mained in  New  York  City.  He  was  very  indus- 
trious, writing  letters  to  all  parts  of  the  country, 
giving  and  asking  information.  He  then  visited 
and  made  personal  investigations  in  Boston,  Phil- 
adelphia, and  Baltimore.  He  had  photographs 
struck  off  and  sent  them  to  different  correspond- 
ents. Once  he  thought  he  had  found  his  man  and 
hastened  to  Chicago,  but  his  first  glance  at  the 
person  suspected  told  him  that  he  was  on  the 
wrong  track.  During  his  stay  in  New  York  he 
stopped  at  a  European  hotel,  much  resorted  to  by 
sporting  men  and  situated  in  the  noisy  part  of  the 
city,  well  down  town.  Here,  oftentimes  during 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.   ^ 

his  search,  day  and  night,  he  would  drop  in  and 
sit  or  stand  about  listening  to  the  talk  of  the  vari- 
ous frequenters  of  the  place. 

One  night  he  returned  to  the  hotel  very  late, 
and  stepping  into  the  bar-room,  which  led  out  of 
the  office,  to  obtain  a  light  for  his  cigar,  he  over- 
heard the  magic  words  "  Gentleman  Jim"  pro- 
nounced in  low  tones  by  a  man  who  was  standing 
*at  the  bar  eagerly  talking  with  a  companion.  Here 
perhaps  was  a  clue.  He  was  all  attention,  but  as 
he  passed  them  he  appeared  indifferent  and  un- 
conscious ;  they  immediately  changed  the  subject, 
however,  and  in  louder  voices  began  discussing 
a  horse-race  which  had  occurred  that  day.  Ferris, 
after  lighting  his  cigar,  strolled  leisurely  back  into 
the  hotel  office,  where,  taking  a  seat  which  com- 
manded a  view  of  the  bar-room  entrance,  he  pre- 
tended to  read  a  newspaper.  After  some  delay 
the  two  men  came  out  of  the  bar-room,  and  one 
of  them  stepping  up  to  the  clerk  at  the  desk  asked 
for  the  key  to  Room  186;  then,  as  if  undecided, 
consulted  his  companion  a  moment,  and  they  both 
left  the  hotel,  one  of  them  casting  a  suspicious 
glance  at  the  detective  as  they  passed  him.  Ferris 
followed  them  carefully  until  he  saw  them  enter  a 
noted  gambling-house.  He  then  hastened  back 
to  the  hotel  and  called  for  the  proprietor. 

"  He  is  abed,"  said  the  clerk.     "  Anything  par- 
ticular ?" 

1 6* 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

11  Yes,"  said  Ferris.     "  It  is  detective  work." 
"  He  won't  get  up  for  that,  I'm  afraid,"  said  the 
clerk.     "  That's  getting  stale." 

"  My  name  is  Ferris.     I  am  from  Chicago." 
"  Oh,  yes,"  said  the  clerk.     "  I  know.     He'll  get 
up  for  you." 

Ferris  explained  to  the  landlord  his  suspicions, 
and  they  both  went  up  to  Room  186,  which  the 
landlord  opened  with  a  pass-key. 

On  entering  the  room  they  both  noticed  that  the 
two  men  had  their  things  all  packed  and  ready, 
apparently,  to  move  at  a  moment's  notice.  This 
aroused  the  landlord's  suspicions.  Something  was 
wrong,  and  he  immediately  became  more  indulgent 
and  agreeable.  He  told  Ferris  that  the  men  had 
engaged  the  room  for  two  weeks  longer  that  very 
morning,  telling  him  that  they  might  want  to  stay 
a  month.  Ferris  did  not  attempt  to  open  or  dis- 
turb the  trunk  and  two  valises  which  were  in  the 
room,  as  he  did  not  wish  to  arouse  their  suspicions 
in  any  way.  Upon  the  table  he  found  some  writ- 
ing materials.  One  of  the  blotters  he  examined 
carefully  and  slipped  it  into  his  pocket ;  then  see- 
ing some  bits  of  torn  paper  with  writing  upon  them 
scattered  about  the  floor,  he,  with  the  landlord's 
assistance,  carefully  picked  up  every  piece,  placing 
them  also  in  his  pocket.  He  remarked  that  there 
was  a  door  connecting  with  the  next  room,  num- 
ber 184.  This  room,  the  landlord  informed  him, 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

was  unoccupied,  and  the  door  leading  to  it  was 
bolted  on  both  sides.  He  immediately  engaged 
the  room,  and  bidding  the  landlord  good-night,  he 
locked  himself  in  Room  184.  He  then  began  to 
occupy  himself  in  rather  a  singular  manner.  First 
he  took  the  blotter  out  of  his  pocket  and  held  it  up 
before  the  mirror;  after  studying  its  reflection  in 
t^he  glass  for  a  while,  he  was  able  to  decipher  a 
name  and  address.  The  name  seemed  to  satisfy 
him,  for  with  a  smile  he  nodded  his  head  two  or 
three  times  knowingly,  and  then  began  working  at 
the  bits  of  paper,  which  he  carefully  spread  out 
upon  a  table.  He  began  matching  the  torn  edges, 
and  worked  industriously  until,  after  a  long  time, 
he  succeeded  in  putting  them  all  together  nicely 
so  that  the  words  upon  them  made  sense.  The 
gray  streaks  of  morning  were  beginning  to  light 
up  the  windows  as  he  finished,  and  read  with  eager 
eyes  the  letter  which  had  so  strangely  fallen  into 
his  hands. 

Suddenly  he  heard  movements  in  the  next  room. 
The  men  had  evidently  returned  after  an  all-night 
struggle  with  fate  at  the  gambling  house. 

Ferris  pressed  his  ear  closely  against  the  crack 
of  the  door  and  listened  carefully  to  hear  what 
they  might  say  to  each  other;  but  he  was  dis- 
appointed; they  only  grumbled  a  little  at  their 
losses  at  gambling  and  were  soon  in  bed,  and,  as 
he  knew  by  their  hard  breathing,  fast  asleep. 


*   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

He  then  lit  a  cigar,  sat  down  near  the  door  con- 
necting the  two  rooms,  and  patiently  awaited  their 
awakening.  This  was  a  weary  task.  He  heard 
the  clocks  in  the  neighborhood  strike  hour  after 
hour  and  the  growing  hum  of  humanity  inside  and 
out  as  the  morning  advanced. 

Once  he  rang  the  bell  and  ordered  some  break- 
fast to  his  room ;  once  he  fell  into  a  little  doze 
hjmself,  from  which  he  was  startled  by  the  striking 
of  a  clock  which  indicated  that  it  was  noon,  and 
shortly  after  this  he  began  to  hear  the  occupants 
of  number  186  moving  about.  Again  he  placed  his 
ear  to  the  door  and  listened.  One  of  the  men 
finally  spoke  in  a  low  tone  to  the  other. 

"  'Ere's  a  go,"  said  he,  at  once  betraying  his 
nationality.  "  Blow  me  tight,  but  hi  wouldent  gif 
a  bob  for  luck  ha  roostin'  'ere  hanother  night. 
We're  the  boys  to  be  jugged  sure's  me  name's 
honest  'Any." 

"  Whoy  d'ye  t'ink  it  ?"  said  the  other,  who  was 
evidently  Irish.  The  Englishman  then  went  on  to 
say  that  he  had  noticed  that  they  were  followed 
out  of  the  hotel  the  night  previous ;  he  had  dropped 
his  glove  to  get  an  opportunity  to  glance  quickly 
behind  at  Ferris.  He  didn't  know  who  the  "  cove" 
was,  but  he  believed  he  was  a  spotter,  and  that 
they  were  watched  every  minute.  The  Irishman 
laughed  at  his  fears,  and,  as  if  to  prove  that  they 
were  not  watched,  suddenly  opened  the  door  lead- 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

ing  into  the  hallway  and  looked  out  The  English- 
man admitted  that  he  was  in  no  condition  the  night 
before  to  cope  with  detectives  and  might  be  mis- 
taken ;  he  hoped  he  was,  for  they  were  comfortable 
where  they  were  and  they  must  stay  in  New  York 
somewhere  until  Gentleman  Jim  obtained  all  of 
the  points  about  "  the  rich  duffer's  boodle." 
_"  How  the  divil  did  Jim  tumble  on  that  lay?" 
asked  the  Irishman,  who  evidently  did  not  know 
as  much  of  Gentleman  Jim's  arrangements  as 
"honest  "Any,"  who  then  proceeded  in  low  tones 
to  tell  the  other  how  Bolan,  on  arriving  in  New 
York,  instead  of  going  to  a  large  hotel,  had  en- 
gaged expensive  apartments  at  one  of  the  more 
secluded  and  aristocratic  houses.  Here  he  had 
represented  himself  as  an  Englishman  of  wealth, 
and  had  gradually  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a 
millionaire  who  made  the  same  house  his  tempo- 
rary home,  but  who  resided  a  few  miles  out  of  New 
York,  where  he  owned  a  magnificent  estate  on  the 
Hudson.  Bolan's  plan  was  to  induce  him,  if  possi- 
ble, to  play  high  at  cards,  or,  failing  in  this,  to  visit 
his  handsome  residence  by  invitation,  and  while 
there,  help  them  "  crack  the  crib,"  as  he  expressed 
it.  At  present  he  said  the  millionaire  was  off 
yachting  on  a  summer  cruise,  and  Bolan  had  gone 
with  him.  Ferris  carefully  listened  to  everything 
that  was  said  until  finally  he  heard  them  leave  their 
room  and  go  away ;  then  he  made  a  memorandum 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

of  it  all,  threw  himself  upon  his  bed,  and  was  soon 
in  a  sound  sleep. 

He  had  not  slumbered  long,  however,  before  he 
was  aroused  by  a  violent  knocking  at  his  room- 
door;  opening  it,  he  was  confronted  by  two  men 
who  inquired  if  his  name  was  Ferris.  On  reply- 
ing in  the  affirmative,  they  showed  him  detective 
badges  and  told  him  that  they  had  orders  from  the 
chief  of  police  to  arrest  two  men  on  suspicion  of 
implication  in  a  daring  robbery ;  that  the  landlord, 
who  stood  beside  them,  had  informed  them  that 
the  men  who  occupied  number  186  were  out.  That 
they  had  instructions  to  bring  all  of  the  effects  be- 
longing to  the  criminals  to  the  central  station,  but 
that  the  landlord  objected  to  their  so  doing  until 
they  had  consulted  him,  as  he  (Ferris)  was  watch- 
ing the  thieves.  They  had  telephoned  to  head- 
quarters, and  were  instructed  to  see  Ferris  and  get 
information  concerning  the  men  if  possible. 

Ferris  told  them  that  he  knew  nothing  about  the 
men,  that  he  was  working  them  to  get  at  another 
party.  Thanking  him,  they  had  the  baggage  from 
number  186  quickly  transferred  to  a  wagon  and  con- 
veyed away.  They  then  took  seats  in  the  hotel 
office  with  Ferris,  who  had  come  down,  to  await 
the  return  of  the  two  criminals.  Ferris,  thinking 
it  unwise  to  be  seen  in  company  with  two  New 
York  detectives  should  the  thieves  return,  and 
feeling  the  need  of  nourishment,  soon  left  them, 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.        lgl 

and  repaired  to  a  restaurant  near  by  for  dinner. 
On  his  return  the  detectives  had  vanished.  Sus- 
pecting something  wrong,  he  at  once  telephoned 
to  the  chief  of  police  at  headquarters  for  informa- 
tion. The  reply  came  that  there  were  no  such 
men  on  such  a  case;  that  they  must  be  frauds. 
He  then  stepped  into  the  bar-room  and  asked  the 
bar-tender  if  he  knew  the  two  men  who  were  in 
*tfiere  a  short  time  previous,  describing  them 
minutely. 

"  No,  I  don't  know  'em,"  replied  the  dispenser 
of  liquids.  "  But  the  feller  wid  a  red  top  kep'  a 
mill  on  the  Bowery  onct,  in  the  Ole  Felix  House. 
I  forgit  his  name,  but  he  had  a  pard  named  Barney 
Magee,  who  runs  a  dive  down  on  Pearl  Street." 

Ferris  thanked  him,  and  after  changing  his  attire, 
disguised  as  a  dissolute  street  loafer,  he  went  in 
search  of  Barney  Magee. 

The  reader  may  be  curious  to  know  how  the 
bogus  detectives  knew  about  Ferris.  The  Irishman 
and  his  friend  "  honest  'Any,"  after  leaving  the 
hotel,  held  a  sort  of  council  of  war  at  a  neighbor- 
ing saloon,  and  decided  that  it  was  too  dangerous 
to  stay  there  longer.  They  then  planned  a  method 
by  which  they  could  get  away  their  baggage  with- 
out paying  their  hotel  bill,  which  was  several  weeks 
in  arrears.  They  employed  the  help  of  two  of 
their  "  pals"  who  were  living  in  another  part  of  the 
city,  and  who  carried  out  the  plan  by  acting  as 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

detectives,  as  we  have  seen.  Walking  boldly  into 
the  hotel,  they  asked  to  see  the  proprietor  in  pri- 
vate. In  his  private  office  they  showed  him  their 
badges,  and  said  they  were  after  thieves  who  were 
occupying  room  number  186  in  his  hotel. 

The  landlord,  remembering  his  experience  of 
the  night  previous,  was  not  surprised  at  this,  but 
informed  them  that  Ferris,  the  Chicago  detective, 
was  occupying  number  184,  and  keeping  watch  over 
the  thieves.  The  make-believe  detectives  pretended 
to  know  all  about  this,  and  offered  to  go  up  and 
interview  Ferris  and  capture  the  thieves.  Of 
course  the  birds  had  flown,  and  the  bogus  detec- 
tives took  the  baggage,  as  they  had  intended, 
placed  it  in  a  wagon  which  they  had  in  waiting, 
and  it  soon  disappeared  in  the  busy  whirl  of  the 
New  York  streets,  as  they  did  also  soon  afterward. 
Ferris  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  establish- 
ment of  Barney  Magee ;  every  policeman  in  that 
quarter  of  the  city  knew  it  intimately ;  in  fact,  he 
himself  had  been  there  on  a  previous  visit  to  New 
York,  and  Magee  had  aided  him  in  the  capture  of 
a  noted  Chicago  criminal. 

"Dives"  strange  as  it  may  seem,  only  flourished 
by  the  tolerance  and  desire  of  the  police  authori- 
ties, because  their  proprietors  were,  in  a  measure, 
in  the  secret-service  hire. 

For  a  strange  "  crook"  to  enter  one  of  them  and 
make  his  headquarters  was  almost  as  certain  detec- 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

tion  and  capture  as  would  be  an  act  of  open  rob- 
bery, with  police  for  witnesses. 

Ferris  waited  around  in  the  neighboring  saloons 
until  after  dark,  knowing  that  then  he  would  be 
more  sure  of  finding  Magee  at  home.  At  about 
nine  o'clock,  however,  he  stumbled  down  the  steep 
stone  steps  of  Magee's  place,  and  into  the  bril- 
liantly lighted  room,  pretending  to  be  somewhat 
intoxicated.  The  apartment  was  foully  laden  with 
the  odor  of  poor  tobacco  and  the  fumes  of  stale 
liquor.  At  various  tables  ranged  along  the  sides 
of  the  room  sat  brutal-looking  men,  who  were  try- 
ing to  sap  enjoyment  out  of  cards,  liquor,  and  vile 
cigars.  A  weazen-looking  Italian  was  painfully 
twanging  what  he  probably  considered  music  upon 
a  badly-tuned  and  worse-toned  harp,  while  stand- 
ing by  his  side  a  dirty-looking  overgrown  urchin 
was  producing  nerve-killing  sounds  from  a  violin. 
Ferris,  at  a  glance,  took  in  all  the  occupants  of  the 
room,  staggered  up  to  Magee,  who  was  sitting, 
like  a  king  upon  his  throne,  at  a  high  desk  on  one 
end  of  the  bar. 

But  it  is  not  our  purpose  to  follow  Ferris 
through  all  of  the  disgusting  details  of  his  work 
as  a  criminal  detective.  He  was  persistent  in  his 
duty ;  was  several  times  baffled,  and  many  another 
man  would  have  become  thoroughly  discouraged ; 
but  he  always  perseveringly  surmounted  diffi- 
culties, and  without  the  slightest  thought  of  aban- 
i  n  17 


194 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


doning  his  search.  Often  he  was  obliged  to  change 
his  disguises;  once  he  passed  himself  off  as  a 
thief  from  Boston,  in  order  the  more  readily  to 
enable  him  to  enter  the  company  and  confidence 
of  those  he  was  watching ;  at  another  time  he  im- 
personated a  country  farmer,  and  allowed  himself 
to  be  robbed  by  the  very  man  whom  he  desired  to 
get  information  from;  finally,  after  about  three 
weeks  of  continuous  work,  aided  by  the  address 
which  he  had  discovered  upon  the  blotter  at  the 
hotel,  he  thought  he  possessed  a  clew  which  would 
enable  him  to  find  Gentleman  Jim. 

He  wrote  occasionally  to  Mr.  Campion  such 
matters  as  he  considered  of  particular  importance ; 
but  Ferris  was  not  a  man  to  make  known  his 
plans  before  he  carried  them  out. 

Thus  time  went  on,  and  Mr.  Dexter  recovered 
sufficiently  to  sit  up  in  a  reclining  chair.  He  still 
kept  his  illness  a  secret  from  Nettie,  his  niece, 
although  he  now  wrote  to  her  every  week,  detail- 
ing the  home  news  as  though  nothing  had  hap- 
pened to  mar  the  usual  serenity  of  his  existence. 

His  physician  held  out  to  him  such  sanguine 
hopes  of  his  ultimate  recovery  that  he  complied 
cheerfully  with  all  directions,  and  devoted  his 
whole  time  and  mind  to  the  recuperation  of  his 
health  and  strength. 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


195 


CHAPTER    X. 

High  Life  on  Deck — Van  Dusen  an  Epicure — His  Friends — A 

Visit  to  Smoke  Island — Craik  Overdoes  It — Alice  Van  Twist 

as  an  Artist — Rescued  from  Drowning — The  Paternal  Parkins' 

„  v  Pants — A  Word  for  Physiognomy — Nettie  sails  "  The  Queen." 

THERE  was  high  living  on  board  of  the  "  Siren." 
Van  Dusen  enjoyed  his  three  or  four  kinds  of 
wine  at  dinner,  and  anticipated  his  cigar  with 
cognac  and  cordial.  Not  that  he  was  a  very  in- 
temperate man ;  on  the  contrary,  he  was  never 
known  to  be  unduly  under  the  influence  of  liquor. 
A  large  share  of  his  life  had  been  spent  abroad. 
Paris  saw  him  the  greater  part  of  every  other 
winter,  more  because  he  enjoyed  the  customs  of 
the  French  than  from  any  particular  affection  for 
the  French  themselves.  His  weakness  was  French 
cuisine.  His  French  cook  accompanied  him  upon 
all  of  his  yachting  excursions ;  and  Mr.  Van  Dusen 
never  avoided  trouble  or  expense  to  put  himself 
in  possession  of  the  dainties  of  the  market.  He 
was  one  of  those  (shall  we  say  fortunate  ?)  indi- 
viduals who  live  to  eat,  but  never  dream  as  pos- 
sible the  reversal  of  such  a  proposition. 

Wine  was  to  him  what  in  a  sense  coffee  is  to 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

many,  an  established  and  habitual  necessity ;  and 
not  having  a  gouty  or  apoplectic  diathesis,  and 
possessing  an  enviable  digestion  and  a  most  ami- 
cable liver,  he  never  stinted  himself  in  any  of  these 
luxuries  of  life. 

But  if  Mr.  Van  Dusen  was  a  man  who  so  thor- 
oughly enjoyed  the  eatables  and  drinkables  of  life, 
he  could  not  be  accused  of  selfishness.  He  was  a 
model  of  generous  hospitality.  In  fact,  he  was  so 
free-handed  that  it  is  safe  to  say  he  would  not  have 
enjoyed  his  many  pleasures  alone.  His  guests, 
too,  upon  the  yacht,  were  appreciative.  Professor 
Romney  was  a  man  who  had  always  been  ac- 
customed to  luxury.  Belonging  to  one  of  the 
wealthiest  families  of  his  State,  he  had  been  reared 
an  epicure.  Mr.  Kendall  was  by  nature  aesthetic, 
particularly  fond  of  those  things  which  brought 
him  gustatory  satisfaction ;  while  Craik  was  the 
son  (dissolute)  of  a  wealthy  clergyman  of  the 
Episcopal  faith,  who  for  many  years  was  as  noted 
for  his  fine  table  as  for  his  lengthy  but  erudite 
pulpit  discourses. 

In  fact,  their  common  liking  for  the  luxuries  of 
the  table  was  one  of  the  main  causes  which  had 
thrown  these  four  men  together.  Mentally,  they 
had  little  in  common ;  physically,  they  were  born 
affinities.  Van  Dusen's  mind  had  been  nourished 
in  a  moneyed  soil.  When  the  newspapers  arrived 
he  devoted  himself  almost  exclusively  to  the  finan- 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


I97 


cial  and  commercial  news ;  the  professor  selected 
what  was  scientific,  occasionally  reading  an  edi- 
torial ;  Mr.  Kendall  seldom  read  anything  but  a 
sectarian  organ,  which  was  forwarded  to  him  every 
week  with  scrupulous  punctuality;  Craik  was  al- 
ways eager  to  see  the  papers  as  soon  as  they  arrived, 
but  seldom  kept  them  long  in  his  hands,  and 
seemed  to  skim  them  through  as  though  search- 

.   , 

*•  ing  for  some  expected  piece  of  information. 

Their  bond  of  sympathy  and  good-fellowship 
existed,  therefore,  by  virtue  of  their  good  diges- 
tions and  fondness  in  indulging  them.  This  was 
the  capital  which  held  them  together  as  a  firm, 
and  thus  far  their  enterprise  seemed  a  successful 
one.  After  the  departure  of  Tom  and  his  party, 
they  had  voted  Jack  a  clever  fellow,  the  girls  re- 
markably bright-minded  and  very  handsome,  while 
Tom  they  spoke  of  differently.  Mr.  Van  Dusen 
said  he  was  a  good  soul,  but  rather  precocious  ; 
Mr.  Kendall  said  he  thought  he  was  intelligent,  but 
a  slave  to  liberalism,  which,  if  persisted  in,  would 
in  time  ruin  any  good  mind ;  Craik  voted  Tom  a 
fool,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  say  so ;  while  the  pro- 
fessor grew  red  in  the  face  as  he  sounded  Tom's 
praises  in  eulogistic  language,  which  he  ably  com- 
manded. 

Early  on  the  following  morning  three  of  the 
yachting  party  took  the  yawl  and  started  off  for 
an  all-day  fishing  excursion,  leaving  Craik,  who 

17* 


IO/8       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

said  he  wanted  to  rest,  alone  upon  the  yacht  with 
two  of  the  deck  hands. 

Craik  did  not  seem  to  enjoy  the  life  of  a  sports- 
man. His  moments  of  real  pleasure  seemed  to  be 
when  he  was  engaged  at  cards  or  over  wine  at 
dinner.  Van  Dusen  was  somewhat  disappointed 
in  him,  for  he  had  as  yet  discovered  in  him  no 
true  powers  as  a  skilful  conversationalist ;  and,  out- 
side of  convivial  matters,  Craik  had  proved  himself 
rather  poor  company  for  his  guests.  Therefore, 
when  he  refused  to  accompany  them  on  their  fish- 
ing excursion,  Van  Dusen  was  by  no  means  dis- 
appointed, but  rather  satisfied. 

The  day  had  passed  very  slowly  for  Craik.  He 
was  restless  and  ill  at  ease.  It  was  three  o'clock 
as  he  lay  snoozing  under  the  deck-awning,  his 
eyes  occasionally  glancing  in  the  direction  of  Cup 
Island.  Suddenly  he  saw  the  little  boat  shoot  out 
from  the  island ;  two  people  were  in  it,  and  he  cor- 
rectly surmised  that  they  were  Miss  Tillottson  and 
her  friend.  They  pulled  directly  for  Smoke  Island, 
where  they  landed  and  disappeared  in  the  Van 
Twist  cottage. 

Craik,  who  was  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  see 
more  of  Belle,  immediately  took  advantage  of  it. 
Getting  quickly  into  the  row-boat,  and  taking  one 
of  the  sailors  with  him,  he  was  pulled  to  Smoke 
Island,  where,  after  landing  and  sending  the  man 
back  with  the  boat,  he  walked  leisurely  up  the 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

gentle  slope  toward  the  cottage.  This  visit  of 
Belle  and  Nettie  to  the  Van  Twist  cottage  was  the 
result  of  a  courageous  effort;  it  would  have  suited 
their  inclinations  better  to  have  taken  one  of  their 
exploring  expeditions  along  the  coast;  but  they 
felt  it  a  kind  of  duty  to  notice  the  only  ladies  in 
the  vicinity,  and  as  Mrs.  Tillottson,  who  was  now 
living  with  them  upon  Cup  Island,  had  mildly 
'urged  them  to  go,  they  finally  made  the  effort. 

The  Van  Twists  received  them  very  pleasantly. 
Mother  and  daughter  were  sitting  upon  a  little 
portico  or  piazza  upon  one  side  of  the  cottage  as 
the  girls  arrived,  where,  after  the  usual  greetings, 
they  all  settled.  The  major  was  taking  his  after- 
noon nap.  They  were  in  the  shadow,  and  could 
enjoy  the  fine  view  of  the  water  and  the  cool 
breeze  which  was  then  blowing.  Soon  after  their 
arrival,  Miss  Van  Twist,  who  had  been  describing 
their  bathing  facilities  to  Belle,  asked  her  to  walk 
to  the  beach  and  inspect  their  bathing-houses. 
On  their  way  down  they  met  Mr.  Craik. 

Miss  Van  Twist  greeted  him  very  cordially, 
telling  him  that  she  thought  he  was  off  upon  a 
fishing  excursion,  as  she  had  seen  the  yawl  start 
in  the  morning ;  then,  seeing  no  boat,  she  asked 
him  with  some  surprise  how  he  had  arrived. 
Craik  pointed  with  a  smile  to  the  boat  which  was 
then  just  disappearing  around  a  point  of  the  island 
in  the  direction  of  the  yacht. 


200       A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

"  I  sent  the  man  back  to  the  vessel,"  he  said, 
"  where  he  has  duties  to  perform.  He  will  return 
for  me  if  I  signal." 

"  How  very  good  of  you  to  come  over,"  said 
Miss  Van  Twist,  smiling  one  of  her  most  finished 
smiles.  "  It  is  so  stupidly  lonesome  here  some- 
times." 

"  Impossible,  in  the  company  you  now  enjoy," 
said  he,  indicating  by  a  glance  that  he  meant 
'Belle.  "  I  have  been  alone  upon  the  '  Siren'  all 
day,  and  thought  I  would  just  run  over  for  a  mo- 
ment to  see  if  I  could  be  of  service  to  you  in  any 
way." 

"  It  is  very  kind,  I  am  sure,"  Miss  Van  Twist 
replied.  "  Miss  Tillottson  and  I  were  on  our  way 
to  the  beach.  Will  you  come  with  us  and  give  us 
your  opinion  of  our  bathing-houses?" 

"  With  pleasure,"  said  Craik,  glad  of  any  chance 
which  threw  him  in  Belle's  society. 

They  walked  to  the  bathing-houses  and  sat  upon 
the  steps  leading  to  the  water  below. 

"  Do  you  sketch,  Miss  Tillottson  ?"  said  Craik, 
after  they  had  exhausted  the  subject  of  bathing. 

"  A  little,"  Belle  replied  ;  "  that  is,  I  never  have 
taken  any  instruction  in  drawing,  but  I  amuse  my- 
self occasionally  endeavoring  to  reproduce  some 
of  the  odd  scenes  and  sweet  views  which  I  see  so 
often  about  here." 

"  Oh,  I  do  think  sketching  is  just  delightful," 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.        2OI 

said  Miss  Van  Twist,  who  had  devoted  much  time 
and  money  to  it.  "  I  have  been  crazy  about  it  for 
years ;  I  must  show  you  both  some  of  my  draw- 
ings. I  will  run  up  to  the  house  and  get  my 
sketch-book.  Last  year  we  were  in  the  Alps,  and 
I  wish  you  to  see  one  or  two  views  which  I  think 
I  succeeded  in  getting  into  my  book  quite  suc- 
^cessfully.  Switzerland  is  too  beautiful  for  any- 
thing." 

"  Except  sketching,"  said  Belle,  with  a  smile. 

"  Let  me  get  your  book  for  you,"  said  Craik. 

"  Oh,  no  indeed,  thank  you ;  I  will  go,  for  it  is 
locked  up  in  the  bottom  of  my  trunk ;  but  I  will 
soon  return ;"  saying  which  Miss  Van  Twist  hast- 
ened toward  the  cottage. 

When  she  had  disappeared,  Craik,  who  had 
been  somewhat  serious  up  to  this  time,  turned  his 
handsome  face  toward  Belle  and  said,  cheerfully, — 

"  It  is  very  beautiful  here,  Miss  Tillottson,  and 
it  is  hard  to  realize  that  such  calm  peacefulness 
cannot  last  forever.  Beyond  these  placid  waters 
men  are  rudely  struggling  with  each  other  for 
supremacy  in  all  things,  for  life  itself  and  its 
necessities.  Can  it  be  possible  that  war,  grim  war, 
with  all  of  its  accompanying  horrors,  is  now  in 
progress  in  no  less  than  five  different  nations 
of  the  earth  ?  How  serene  is  this  sky,  and  what 
a.  supreme  privilege  that  we,  or  more  particularly  I, 
should  be  allowed  to  peacefully  sit  here  and  drink 


2O2       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

in  all  of  this  intoxicating  beauty.  Will  you  pardon 
me  if  I  congratulate  you  upon  your  delicacy  of 
taste  in  wearing  a  costume  so  becoming,  and  at 
the  same  time  so  perfectly  in  harmony  with  these 
charming  surroundings  ?" 

The  expression  of  Craik's  face  was  so  kindly 
that  Belle  could  hardly  take  offence  at  his  personal 
remarks,  though  she  felt  a  natural  shrinking  from 
the  man  for  taking  what  she  considered  an  un- 
warrantable liberty,  therefore,  although  somewhat 
provoked,  she  replied,  gently, — 

"  Yes,  life  here  is  fascinating,  extremely  so ;  but 
the  chief  charm  of  the  locality  lies,  I  think,  in  its 
remarkable  healthfulness." 

While  she  was  speaking  Craik  had  unpinned 
from  his  coat  a  beautiful  pink  rose,  which  he  had 
been  wearing ;  and  deftly  throwing  it  into  her  lap, 
as  she  finished  her  remark,  he  said, — 

"  Pardon  me,  but  there  is  an  Oldport  treasure 
which  I  am  sure  you  cannot  refuse,  since  you  have 
so  fairly  won  it  by  wearing  a  costume  only  lack- 
ing this  flower  to  make  it  perfection." 

Belle  was  passionately  fond  of  pink  roses ;  and 
although  her  inclination  was  to  return  him  the 
flower,  she,  on  second  thoughts,  decided  that  to 
accept  it  would  be  more  ladylike,  therefore  she 
modestly  thanked  him  and  pinned  the  beautiful 
rose  at  her  throat. 

Craik  was  correct.      With  the  rose  Belle  did 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        203 

appear  the  perfection  of  loveliness.  She  wore  a 
close-fitting  gown  of  white  material,  a  kind  of 
flannel,  cut  and  trimmed  to  show  her  beautiful 
figure  to  advantage.  She  had  reluctantly  arrayed 
herself  in  this  costume  to  appear  well  before  the 
Van  Twists  upon  this  her  first  visit  to  Smoke 
Island. 

"  Roses  are  by  no  means  plentiful  in  this 
vfcinity,"  said  Belle,  "  and  I  am  afraid  that  you 
are  robbing  yourself  by  your  generosity ;  but  you 
are  so  reckless  with  the  dear  flower  that  I  feel  in 
duty  bound  to  act  as  its  zealous  protector." 

"  It  could  not  possibly  have  a  more  charming 
defender,"  said  Craik,  sitting  a  little  closer  to 
Belle ;  then  noticing  her  embarrassment  and  rising 
indignation,  he  added,  quickly,  "  but  I  was  aware 
of  this  before  parting  with  it,  so  you  can  hardly 
maintain  the  charge  of  recklessness.  Do  see  that 
sea-gull,  Miss  Tillottson,  he  has  captured  a  fish, 
almost  too  heavy  for  him  to  carry.  What  will  he 
do?" 

Belle  had  arisen  and  was  making  a  motion  to 
return  to  the  cottage  when  Alice  Van  Twist 
arrived  accompanied  by  Nettie. 

"Oh,  you  were  just  about  to  come  after  me, 
were  you  ?"  she  said,  as  if  in  half  apology  for  her 
absence.  "  I  was  unable  to  unlock  my  trunk  easily. 
Well,  we  will  all  return  together  as  soon  as  we 
have  shown  Miss  Knowles  the  bathing-houses." 


2O4 


A   SUMMER   IN   OLD  PORT  ff ARBOR, 


Presently,  therefore,  they  strolled  back  to  the 
cottage,  Craik  placing  himself  at  Belle's  side. 

"  I  hope  I  did  not  offend  you  by  my  remarks  a 
few  moments  ago,"  he  said,  in  a  low,  penitent 
voice,  as  they  walked  along.  "  I  spoke  impul- 
sively. Thoughts  find  words  sometimes  in  spite 
of  us.  There  are  times  when  one  grasps  at  a 
friendship  as  a  drowning  man  seizes  a  straw.  My 
life  has  been  far  from  a  happy  one,  Miss  Tillottson. 
May  I  say  that  a  fair  knowledge  of  human  nature 
leads  me  to  hope  that  you  will  be  my  friend  ?" 

"  I  am  sure  I  have  no  desire  to  be  an  enemy  to 
any  one,"  said  Belle,  scarcely  realizing  what  she 
said. 

"  I  knew  that  you  would  not  hate  me  without 
true  cause,"  said  he ;  "  and  yet  I  feel  that  I  have 
been  indiscreet ;  but,  with  the  knowledge  of  your 
forgiveness  and  the  assurance  of  your  friendship,  I 
can  never  regret  that  my  indiscretion  has  brought 
about  such  happy  results." 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  cottage,  and 
Belle,  with  an  inward  sigh  of  relief,  attached  her- 
self to  Mrs.  Van  Twist. 

Craik's  last  remarks  had  by  no  means  added  to 
her  composure.  What  right  had  he,  an  almost 
total  stranger,  to  assume  that  she  would  be  his 
friend  or  that  he  had  her  forgiveness  ?  Indeed, 
she  was  not  his  friend,  and  would  never  forgive 
him.  Had  he  been  truly  a  gentleman  he  would 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


2O5 


have  passed  over  the  incident  of  the  rose,  never 
referring  to  it  again.  She  could  not  understand 
why,  on  such  a  brief  acquaintance,  he  should  dare 
to  assume  an  air  of  familiarity.  Jack  never  would 
have  done  such  a  thing,  although  Jack  had  given 
her  many  flowers.  Jack  was  very  kind ;  but  pre- 
sumptuous, never.  She  wished  Jack  could  know 
how  intensely  she  disliked  this  Mr.  Craik.  Per- 
haps Mr.  Craik  would  now  seize  every  favorable 
opportunity  to  appear  familiar  when  Jack  was  pres- 
ent; if  he  dared  do  such  a  mean  thing  she  would 
surely  be  rude  toward  him.  She  had  a  good  mind 
to  tell  Jack  all  about  it.  Thus  her  thoughts  flew ; 
and  she  felt  tears  gathering  in  her  eyes,  her  throat 
was  uncomfortable,  and  she  wondered  if  her  face 
was  not  red.  Pshaw  !  What  was  Jack  Stratton  to 
her  ?  Well,  he  was  her  friend,  at  least ;  and  she 
smiled  involuntarily  as  she  thought  to  herself  that 
Jack  did  like  her  very  much.  As  for  Craik,  if  he 
was  awfully  handsome,  he  was  not  her  friend. 
How  did  he  dare  assume  that  such  was  the 
case  ?  She  would  tell  Nettie  all  about  it,  and  ask 
her  advice. 

Now,  all  of  this  time  Belle  was  carrying  on  a 
desultory  conversation  with  Mrs.  Van  Twist.  The 
latter,  in  her  characteristic  way,  had  been  making 
some  inquiries  of  her  in  regard  to  the  quality, 
methods  of  construction,  and  place  of  purchase 
of  her  gown, — the  impertinence  of  which  inquiries 

18 


2o6       A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

Belle  entirely  overlooked  in  her  excitement,  good- 
naturedly  vouchsafing  all  of  the  desired  informa- 
tion. 

The  sketch-book  was  passed  around  and  more 
than  duly  admired.  Who  dares  to  criticise  the 
labored  productions  of  an  amateur,  especially 
when  the  artist  is  a  young  woman  ?  They  were 
drawings  possessing  some  merit  for  accuracy  of 
outline  and  perspective,  evidently  hard-won  vir- 
tues, but  they  lacked  that  naturalness  of  expression 
which  is  given  by  a  master  of  chiaroscuro.  They 
were  also  wanting  in  the  boldness  of  style  which 
indicates  true  talent.  There  was  nothing  of  Cruik- 
shank  or  Dore  boldness  about  them  :  every  stroke 
of  the  pencil,  and  there  were  many,  was  made  as 
though  the  designer  had  a  doubt  as  to  its  right  of 
place;  and  this  hesitancy  in  particulars  gave  to 
the  grand  total  an  appearance  of  mediocrity,  re- 
flecting seriously  upon  the  skill  of  the  sketcher. 

While  they  were  occupied  with  these  drawings, 
Jack  and  the  doctor,  who  had  been  sent  over  by 
Mrs.  Tillottson  to  bring  home  the  girls,  arrived 
upon  Smoke  Island.  The  young  men  were  some- 
what surprised  to  find  Craik  there,  but  politely 
offered  to  take  him  back  to  the  "  Siren"  in  "  The 
Queen" ;  which  offer,  although  urged  by  the  Van 
Twists  to  stay  to  tea,  he  readily  accepted.  The 
Van  Twists  were  also  profuse  in  their  invitations 
to  the  young  people,  urging  them  to  come  over 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        2O/ 

often,  the  major  joining  his  wife  and  daughter  in 
these  overtures.  He  had  a  look  of  sleepiness 
upon  his  red  face  as  he  appeared  upon  the  porch, 
and  cordially  joined  in  the  conversation. 

He  said  if  they  would  stay  to  tea  he  would  give 
them  some  fish  of  his  own  catching,  and  that 
ought  to  be  a  great  inducement ;  but  they  politely 
declined  the  invitations,  and  reminding  the  Van 
**Twists  that  they  were  all  to  meet  on  the  morrow 
on  board  of  the  "  Siren,"  they  took  their  depart- 
ure, and  were  soon  sailing  away  for  the  Van 
Dusen  yacht. 

On  "  The  Queen,"  Craik,  as  Belle  had  feared, 
was  obsequious  in  his  attentions.  His  hand  it 
was  which  anticipated  Jack's  in  helping  her  on 
board,  and  he  hastily,  almost  rudely,  took  meas- 
ures to  insure  himself  a  seat  by  her  side ;  while 
he  kept  up  a  running  conversation  during  their 
short  sail  to  the  "  Siren." 

"Are  you  ever  sea-sick,  Miss  Tillottson?"  he 
asked,  as  soon  as  they  were  under  way. 

"  I  never  have  been,"  replied  Belle,  civilly. 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Craik ;  "  but  so  many  people  are 
that  I  sometimes  feel,  when  at  sea,  as  though  it 
were  almost  my  duty  to  be  so.  Probably,  if  I  once 
tried  it,  I  should  be  effectually  cured  of  any  such 
notion.  A  certain  friend  of  mine,  in  crossing  the 
Atlantic,  never  deserts  his  state-room  from  the 
time  he  leaves  America  until  he  reaches  Ireland, 


2o8       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

where  he  is  glad  of  an  opportunity  to  land  at 
Queenstown  and  take  a  week  or  so  to  recuperate 
before  crossing  St.  George's  Channel.  It  is  amus- 
ing to  watch  the  passengers  on  board  an  ocean 
steamer  as  soon  as  the  sea  begins  to  get  a  little 
rough.  They  are  generally  well  stocked  with 
remedies,  which  their  friends  have  recommended 
as  sure  preventives  of  sea-sickness.  I  remember 
once  meeting  an  old  lady  who  was  enthusiastic  in 
her  recommendation  of  hot  water.  A  glass  of 
hot  water  whenever  one  began  to  feel  dizzy,  she 
said,  acted  like  a  charm  to  drive  away  that  bug- 
bear of  the  ocean  traveller.  Since  then,  I  believe 
that  hot-water  advocates  have  become  quite  nu- 
merous. I  would  not  mind  having  a  little  touch 
of  the  complaint,  just  to  test  the  efficacy  of  that 
old  lady's  prescription.  She  charged  me  particu- 
larly to  be  careful  not  to  have  the  water  too  cool, 
as  water  which  was  simply  lukewarm  might  prove 
disastrous." 

Belle  could  not  repress  a  wee  smile. 

"  Have  you  ever  taken  an  ocean  voyage?"  he  said, 
encouraged  to  continue  his  exertions  to  please. 

"  I  never  have  crossed  the  ocean ;  but  I  once 
sailed  from  New  York  to  Savannah,  and  was  the 
only  lady  out  of  over  fifty  who  did  not  miss  a 
meal  during  the  trip.  The  captain  said  I  was  a 
good  sailor." 

"  And  so  you  would  be,"  said  Craik,  delighted 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        209 

at  this  little  effort  on  Belle's  part  to  keep  up  the 
conversation.  "  It  is  certainly  very  tiresome,  not 
to  say  discouraging,  to  start  with  a  party  on  a 
voyage,  and  before  you  have  been  a  whole  day 
upon  the  ocean  have  them  disappear,  one  by  one, 
into  their  state-rooms,  leaving  you  alone  to  enjoy 
yourself  as  you  can." 

At  this  juncture  Tom,  who  had  the  helm,  was 
obliged,  or  thought  it  best,  to  put  about,  and  re- 
quested them  to  change  their  seats.  In  doing  this 
Jack,  who  was  on  the  lookout  for  just  such  a 
manoeuvre,  managed  to  quietly  slip  down  alongside 
of  Belle,  leaving  Craik  to  sit  alone. 

This  movement  amused  Jack  immensely,  and 
put  him  quickly  in  good  spirits. 

"  Boots,"  said  Tom,  gayly,  "  what  do  you  sup- 
pose Jack  and  I  have  been  doing  all  day?" 

"  You  can  have  three  good  square  guesses,"  said 
Jack ;  "  and  if  you  hit  upon  the  right  thing  I  will 
forfeit  a  box  of  caramels,  which,  by  the  way,  are 
to  be  had  almost  instanter,  or  as  soon  as  we  arrive 
upon  the  hospitable  shores  of  Cup  Island." 

"  Breathing !"  said  Belle,  delighted  to  get  beside 
Jack  again,  and  responding  to  his  gayety  in  like 
mood.  "  There !  I  have  fairly  won  the  caramels, — 
haven't  I,  Nettie  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Nettie,  clapping  her  hands.  "  That 
was  a  true  guess,  and  I  don't  see  how  he  can  get 
around  it." 

o  18* 


2IQ       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"  Well,"  said  Jack,  pretending  to  be  crestfallen, 
"trust  a  woman  to  edge  her  way  out  of  a  diffi- 
culty. When  I  get  into  trouble  I  shall  know  where 
to  apply  for  a  first-class  pilot.  The  caramels  are 
yours  sure  enough,  Miss  Tillottson,  but  Tom  and 
I  have  been  doing  something  besides  breathing." 

"  Yes,"  said  Tom,  eager  to  tell  their  experience. 
"  We  started  this  morning  for  the  long  shoals,  just 
south  of  the  Millville  light-house,  expecting  to 
have  a  good  day  at  fishing ;  but,  when  opposite  the 
point,  we  saw  a  row-boat  just  ahead  of  us  capsize, 
throwing  two  children — a  boy  and  a  girl — into  the 
water.  I  headed  'The  Queen'  for  them  at  once, 
and  in  a  twinkling  we  were  alongside,  when  I 
rounded  her  up  to  the  wind  and  brought  her  to  a 
dead  standstill.  The  sail  flapped  so  for  a  moment 
that  I  could  see  nothing ;  but  I  heard  a  splash,  and 
as  soon  as  I  could  see,  there  was  Jack  close  along- 
side buffeting  the  waves  with  one  arm  and  holding 
the  little  girl  in  the  other.  I  threw  him  the  painter 
and  soon  had  them  both  on  deck." 

"  But  the  boy !"  said  both  of  the  girls,  excitedly. 
"  What  became  of  the  boy  ?" 

"  Oh,  he  could  swim,"  said  Tom.  "  He  was  sit- 
ting on  top  of  the  upturned  boat  and  we  yanked 
him  aboard  in  a  jiffy,  looking  like  a  drowned  rat; 
but  Jack  saved  the  little  girl,  and  she  is  a  perfect 
little  beauty,  by  the  way." 

"  Well,"  said  Jack,  with  a  comical  look  upon  his 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        2II 

handsome  face,  "  we  took  the  youngsters  ashore 
and  found  that  they  were  the  children  of  the  man 
who  keeps  the  Millville  light-house,  who  in  agony 
had  witnessed  the  catastrophe  from  the  beach." 

"  Call  it  rather  a  fortunate  rescue,"  said  Belle. 

"  He  was  a  pleasant  man,  and  invited  us  up  to 
his  house,  where  we  have  been  for  the  greater  part 
'•of  the  day  playing  the  part  of  forlorn  shipwrecked 
sailors." 

"  He  was  a  delightful  old  party,  I  can  assure 
you.  Boots,  you  must  sketch  his  jolly  weather- 
beaten  face,"  said  Tom. 

"  He  showed  us  the  great  light  which  is  his  con- 
stant care,"  said  Jack,  "  made  us  stay  to  dinner 
although  we  had  lunch  with  us,  and  it  seemed  as 
though  the  old  fellow  could  not  do  enough  for  us." 

"  His  wife,  too,"  said  Tom,  "  was  as  kind  and  as 
attentive  as  himself,  so,  altogether,  we  had  a  very 
pleasant  day,  and  left  them  at  last  after  promising 
that  we  would  return,  and  bring  all  of  our  friends." 

"  You  must  have  been  uncomfortably  wet,"  said 
Belle  to  Jack. 

"  Yes,"  said  Tom.  "  Boots,  if  you  could  have 
seen  Jack  rigged  out  in  the  duds  of  that  old  salt 
you  would  have  laughed.  The  old  chap  is  only 
about  five  feet  high,  and  as  round  as  a  barrel ;  why, 
he  must  weigh  over  two  hundred." 

"  Yes,"  said  Jack,  his  eyes  twinkling  with  fun. 
"  I  have  a  picture  of  myself  in  my  mind's  eye. 


212       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

Captain  Parkins — that  was  his  name — loaned  me  his 
Sunday  habiliments,  and  his  wife  kindly  hung  up 
my  clothes  to  dry  before  the  kitchen  fire.  The 
pants  were  airy,  and  only  reached  to  my  knees ; 
with  a  little  gathering  they  might  have  passed  for 
the  correct  thing  in  knickerbockers.  By  the  way, 
Doc,  did  you  ever  eat  such  huckleberry-pie  as  that 
which  Mrs.  Parkins  set  before  us  ?  It  was  deli- 
cious." 

"  So  it  was,"  said  Tom,  smacking  his  lips. 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  "  Siren,"  where 
they  parted  with  Mr.  Craik,  who  had  not  said 
much  since  his  separation  from  Belle.  They  re- 
mained only  long  enough  to  give  Craik  a  chance 
to  step  on  board  of  the  yacht ;  and  as  they  turned 
to  sail  away  Van  Dusen,  who  had  been  sitting  on 
deck  with  his  friends,  reminded  them  of  their 
prospective  ocean  sail  on  the  morrow ;  and  stepping 
to  the  side  of  the  "  Siren"  requested  them  to  be  sure 
to  come  aboard  as  early  as  nine  in  the  morning,  as 
they  wanted  to  take  advantage  of  the  tide-favor. 

"  Well,  young  ladies,"  said  Tom,  as  soon  as  they 
were  out  of  hearing,  "  is  the  dreadful  ice  broken 
at  last,  and  were  the  Van  Twists  cordial  ?" 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  Nettie  replied ;  "  but  we  saw  little 
of  them  alone,  for  Mr.  Craik  arrived  shortly  after 
we  did.  He  tried  to  make  himself  very  agreeable, 
—didn't  he,  Belle  ?" 

"  I  think  the  Van  Twists  are  rather  lonely  there 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

on  Smoke  Island,  and  are  glad  to  be  relieved 
occasionally  by  a  little  company,"  said  Belle, 
avoiding  an  answer  to  Nettie's  question  about 
Craik. 

But  for  some  reason  Nettie  did  not  use  her 
usual  good  judgment,  and  again  asked,  perhaps 
with  a  little  shrewd  intention,  though  not  pro- 
yokingly  — 

"  You  had  an  excellent  opportunity  to  cultivate 
a  friendship  with  Mr.  Craik,  I  noticed.  Is  he  not 
very  entertaining  ?" 

Jack's  ears  were  wide  open,  and  Belle  thought 
she  noticed  that  he  was  not  pleased  at  what  Nettie 
had  intimated,  while  Tom  looked  anxiously  at 
her. 

"  Mr.  Craik,"  said  Belle,  desperately,  "  tried  to 
make  himself  agreeable.  He  has  some  ways 
which  appear  rather  strange  to  me,  but  perhaps 
he  has  acquired  them  abroad." 

It  was  not  Belle's  intention  to  expose  Mr.  Craik's 
rudeness  to  the  young  men.  She  knew  too  well 
their  indignation  would  know  no  bounds,  and 
probably  take  a  form  of  resentment  which  would 
result  in  violence,  and  she  wished  to  avoid  all 
discord  during  their  stay  upon  Cup  Island.  She 
had  made  up  her  mind  to  tell  Nettie  all  about 
Craik's  strange  language  and  behavior  when  they 
were  alone,  therefore  she  gave  her  one  of  those 
looks,  the  interpretation  of  which  is  known  only 


214       A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

to  women,  and  effectually  silenced  her  upon  the 
subject  of  Craik  during  the  rest  of  the  sail. 

Craik  was  provoked  with  himself  for  having 
been  so  precipitate.  Why,  thought  he  to  himself, 
did  I  not  put  a  curb  upon  my  devilish  tongue? 
He  was  angry  with  himself  that  he  should  have 
allowed  his  feelings  to  so  master  his  reason  and 
good  judgment.  He  was  delighted,  however,  at 
the  prospect  of  seeing  Belle  again  in  the  morning, 
and  amused  himself  by  planning  various  ways  of 
amusing  her  when  they  should  meet. 

Craik  was  the  son  of  an  American  clergyman. 
He  had  been  brought  up  in  a  most  refined  circle, 
had  received  a  liberal  education,  graduating  from 
one  of  the  leading  colleges  ;  but  he  early  evinced  a 
strong  taste  for  low  company  and  for  the  gaming- 
table. This  latter  taste  led  him  to  procure  funds 
by  dishonest  methods.  He  confiscated  and  sold 
for  a  pittance  the  little  valuables  about  his  father's 
house,  such  as  his  mother's  jewelry,  the  family 
plate,  and  his  father's  valuable  books ;  these  he 
would  pawn  or  sell  at  a  ridiculous  discount  upon 
their  actual  worth. 

Thus  matters  went  with  him  from  bad  to  worse 
until  one  day  he  was  arrested  for  theft,  and  the 
evidence  being  conclusive  against  him,  he  was  sent 
to  jail. 

As  there  were  no  extenuating  circumstances 
connected  with  this  last  act,  it  was  a  blow  to  his 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


215 


injured  father's  pride  which  he  could  not  endure, 
and  shortly  after  this  evidences  of  the  boy's  other- 
wise dastardly  conduct  coming  to  the  father's  ears, 
Craik  was  denounced  before  the  world,  and  they 
were  separated  forever.  This  action  on  the  part 
of  the  reverend  gentleman  was  not  wholly  unex- 
pected by  people  who  knew  Craik.  It  came  after 
many  and  repeated  offences ;  numerous  sins  which 
had  brought  disgrace  to  the  family  had  been  con- 
doned in  the  vain  hope  that  some  day  the  son 
would  change  his  habits,  as  he  had  so  often 
promised  to  do.  In  vain  had  the  loving  father 
pleaded  with  and  appealed  to  the  better  nature  of 
the  boy,  sometimes  using  strong  measures  to 
restrain  his  wicked  tastes.  What  more  could  he 
do  ?  The  son  was  at  times  repentant,  promising 
with  tears  in  his  eyes  to  amend  his  evil  ways. 
Alas !  for  the  poor  parents ;  even  the  mother's 
tender  love,  gentle  persuasiveness,  and  willing  for- 
giveness were  lost  upon  this  child  of  Satan,  and 
he  wandered  away  from  home  an  outcast  and  a 
fugitive  from  justice.  For  some  years  he  roamed 
about  the  Western  country  associating  with  a 
miserable  class  of  beings,  with  whom  his  tastes 
were  congenial ;  later  he  drifted  over  to  England, 
where  his  career  became  notorious,  and  his  bold- 
ness, aided  by  his  beauty  of  face  and  manner, 
enabled  him  to  profitably  carry  out  his  vicious 
schemes.  He  was  the  more  dangerous  because 


2i6       A    SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

possessed  of  those  physical  gifts  which  win  their 
way  so  irresistibly  among  average  mankind.  The 
world  is  fortunate  not  to  harbor  many  such  men ; 
and  if  people  were  better  physiognomists  they 
could  not  flourish  at  all. 

Jack  did  not  admire  Craik.  He  saw  the  cruel 
line  of  his  mouth  when  at  rest,  which  the  thick 
black  moustache  failed  to  entirely  conceal.  This 
mouth-line  formed  an  oval  opening,  slightly  ex- 
posing his  front  teeth  near  the  median  line.  He 
saw  the  tendency  to  straight  lines  of  the  lower 
eyelids,  and  the  deceptive  look  in  the  outer 
corners  of  the  eyes.  He  saw  also  the  want  of 
definiteness  in  the  contour  lines  about  the  chin 
and  the  lack  of  frontal  development  in  the  other- 
wise well-rounded  cranium ;  all  of  which  indica- 
tions of  his  true  character  would  not  be  noticed 
by  the  casual  observer.  Physiognomy  is  as  yet 
an  almost  unknown  science.  People  are  judged 
now  more  by  what  they  say  and  do  than  by  their 
physical  characteristics.  Of  course,  to  the  unin- 
itiated this  is  the  safest  method,  but  not  always 
the  surest.  It  is  difficult  to  become  so  familiar 
with  the  complex  lines  of  human  nature  that  a 
character  may  be  read  by  them  at  sight.  In  fol- 
lowing the  fascinating  study  of  physiognomy, 
obstacles  and  complications  meet  the  student  at 
every  step,  making  advance  in  knowledge  more 
and  more  difficult.  The  vocabulary  of  the  science 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.       2I/ 

is  unlimited ;  types  even  have  but  an  approximate 
definiteness,  and  the  same  infinite  variety  may  be 
traced  in  the  features  of  man  that  we  meet  in  the 
multitudinous  forms  of  nature.  This  fact,  how- 
ever, should  not  discourage  the  beginner.  The 
infinite  stares  at  us  in  any  line  of  study  in  which 
nature  is  a  factor.  The  fact  that  no  two  trees,  nay 
leaves,  are  alike  argues  not  that  we  should  renounce 
botany;  the  multifarious  varieties  and  species  in 
the  animal  kingdom  do  not  render  zoology  use- 
less; and  for  the  same  reasons  physiognomy, 
although  an  occult  and  complex  study,  should  not 
be  relegated  to  the  ranks  of  useless  research,  nor 
considered  in  any  sense  an  obsolete  science.  In 
fact,  it  is  quite  the  reverse.  Did  we  but  realize  it, 
we  might  be  able  to  understand  how  intimately 
it  is  connected  with  the  study  of  God.  Surely  as 
man  is  monarch  of  the  created  universe,  so  physi- 
ognomy or  the  study  of  physical  man  should  take 
the  leading  place  in  that  king  of  studies,  physico- 
theology.  By  and  through  the  phenomena  of  the 
natural  world  alone  are  we,  as  far  as  we  are 
capable  of  knowing,  enabled  to  form  our  concep- 
tions of  the  true  nature  of  God.  We  are  told 
that  we  are  made  in  His  image  and  likeness ; 
granting  this,  how  can  we  more  clearly  arrive  at  a 
satisfying  realization  of  His  greatness  and  good- 
ness than  by  familiarizing  ourselves  with  the 
human  economy?  Although  at  present  in  the 
K  19 


2i8       A   SUMMER   IN   OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

swaddling  clothes  of  investigation,  we  are  steadily 
working  our  way  up  to  a  proper  knowledge  of 
man  by  unravelling  the  mysteries  of  nature. 
Geology,  botany,  zoology,  and  physics  are  the 
stepping-stones  toward  the  treasure-house  in  which 
lie  hidden  the  arcana  of  human  greatness;  but 
the.  mysteries  which  veil  the  great  Unknown  can 
only  be  revealed  by  a  careful  and  persevering 
study  of  man  himself.  A  man's  face  is  a  reflection 
of  his  soul,  and  reflex  action  stamps  the  external 
with  a  likeness  of  the  internal  man.  More  men 
know  this  than  will  acknowledge  it,  yet  they  un- 
consciously admit  it  by  striving  to  wear  a  facial 
mask  to  hide  their  true  character.  It  is  the  delight 
of  the  enthusiastic  student  of  physiognomy  to 
penetrate  these  masks,  exposing  the  true  man  be- 
neath. This  faculty  is  uncommon,  but  is  oftenest 
found  among  professional  men.  Physicians  are 
made  the  confidants  of  humanity,  and  thus  have 
uncommon  facilities  for  comparing  notes  in  the 
study  of  physiognomy. 

The  proverbial  intuitive  perception  of  woman  is 
due,  no  doubt,  in  a  great  measure,  to  her  ability  as 
a  natural  physiognomist. 

Artists  or  portrait-painters  are  generally  good 
judges  of  character,  because  they  make  a  par- 
ticular study  of  features.  Thus  by  long  practice 
and  experience  they  have  connected  certain  types 
of  character  with  their  corresponding  outlines  of 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        2l$ 

features.  The  caricaturist  is  in  some  degree  a  natu- 
ral physiognomist.  He  illustrates  the  striking  or 
prominent  characteristics  of  a  face  by  exagger- 
ating those  features  which  he  believes  represent 
them. 

Jack,  as  we  have  before  stated,  had  this  peculiar 
power.  His  opinion  of  Craik  was  unfavorable, 
aftd,  besides,  it  disturbed  him  greatly  that  he  should 
have  paid  Miss  Tillottson  so  much  marked  atten- 
tion. Y 

He  did  not  believe  that  Belle  liked  the  man  ; 
but  it  interfered  with  the  peace  of  his  mind  that 
she  should  be  bothered  by  such  a  person,  and  he 
resolved  that  in  future,  if  it  were  in  his  power,  he 
would  prevent  it.  He  was  therefore  quite  silent 
and  thoughtful  during  the  short  sail  homeward, 
and  Belle,  who  noticed  this,  felt  that  she  could 
guess  the  reason. 

Tom  gave  Nettie  the  tiller,  and,  standing  near, 
instructed  her  in  the  management  of  the  boat; 
while  she,  following  his  directions  to  the  letter, 
proved  herself  capable  of  some  day  becoming  an 
efficient  sailor  by  guiding  "  The  Queen"  safely  over 
the  placid  waters  of  the  harbor  and  rounding  her 
up  neatly  at  the  little  pier  at  Cup  Island,  where 
Mrs.  Tillottson  stood  awaiting  their  arrival  with  a 
motherly  smile  upon  her  handsome  face. 


22O       A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

Nettie's  Letter  to  her  Uncle — A  few  Lines  from  Jonathan  Ferris — 
Is  Mr.  Craik  Jim  Bolan? — Comparing  Pictures — Uncle  Camp 
decides  to  go  to  Oldport — A  Letter  from  Mr.  Bangs — Nettie  an 
Heiress. 

ADAM  DEXTER,  as  we  have  seen,  was  a  man 
capable  of  strong  emotions,  a  man  of  powerful 
feelings.  It  had  always  been  a  struggle  with  him 
to  substitute  good  judgment  and  cool  decisive- 
ness for  inclination.  He  longed  during  the  first 
part  of  his  illness  for  the  affectionate  care  and 
loving  presence  of  his  niece,  and  his  impulse  was 
to  send  for  her  at  once,  but  his  better  nature  con- 
quered, and,  as  we  know,  he  kept  her  in  total 
ignorance  of  his  misfortune.  Now,  therefore,  as 
he  sat  on  a  beautiful  August  morning  near  the 
open  window,  and  felt  the  glow  of  health  return- 
ing to  his  pallid  cheeks,  his  heart  filled  with 
gratitude  at  the  thought  of  what  he  had  saved  his 
dear  Nettie.  He  knew  that  she  would  be  some- 
what grieved  when  she  was  informed  of  Roger's 
death ;  but  she  was  so  young  when  the  boy  left 
home  that  her  grief  would  be  more  from  her  con- 
cern for  his  own  sorrow  than  for  the  loss  of  her 
almost  forgotten  cousin.  He  was  doubly  anxious, 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        22l 

therefore,  to  appear  as  well  as  possible  when  she 
returned  home,  and  to  this  end  he  now  devoted 
his  entire  mind  and  activities.  He  desired,  there- 
fore, to  postpone  her  return  for  the  present,  or 
until  he  should  be  greatly  improved  in  health. 

He  had  just  received  and  read  a  letter  from 
Nettie,  in  which  she  had  given  a  graphic  descrip- 
tion of  their  yachting  trip  upon  the  "  Siren ;"  and  it 
was  over  this  letter  that  Mr.  Dexter  sat  ruminating 
and  listening  to  the  songs  of  the  birds  as  their 
blithesome  notes  were  wafted  in  through  the  open 
windows  by  the  balmy  midsummer  breezes,  when 
a  servant  entered  and  announced  his  lawyer  and 
friend,  Mr.  Campion. 

"  Well,  well,"  said  the  attorney,  shaking  him 
cordially  by  the  hand ;  "  it  is  jolly  to  find  you  sit- 
ting up  in  such  fine  feathers  and  looking  so  hearty. 
Why,  you  will  be  a  better  man  than  I  am  in  six 
weeks.  Bless  my  soul,  you  are  a  marvel,  indeed, 
to  recuperate  so  rapidly." 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Dexter,  slowly,  for  he  could 
now  enunciate  though  not  without  some  effort,  "  I 
am  getting  stronger.  I  have  taken  quite  a  little 
walk  this  morning  up  and  down  the  room  here ; 
and  I  feel  that  horrible  prickly  numbness  slowly 
leaving  me ;  for  which  I  am  truly  thankful.  Any 
news  this  morning,  Camp  ?" 

"  Nothing  of  any  importance,  I  fear,"  he  replied. 
"  Ferris  writes  me  that  he  is  slowly  but  surely 

19* 


222        A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

getting  nearer  his  man;  but  I  brought  you  his 
letter,  which  you  can  read  for  yourself  if  you 
wish." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Dexter,  eagerly,  "  let  me  have 
it ;  and  here  is  a  letter  from  Nettie  which  I  know 
you  will  be  pleased  to  read  while  I  am  going 
over  this.  There  is  a  message  in  that  for  you 
too." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  the  lawyer,  taking  Nettie's 
letter  and  passing  the  one  from  Ferris ;  "  I  am 
always  glad  to  hear  from  the  little  witch.  Hello, 
she  is  still  at  Cup  Island  with  the  Tillottsons. 
Nice  people  those  Tillottsons.  I  knew  the  father, 
Thomas  Tillottson,  well  in  my  younger  days. 
We  were  at  college  together,  and  always  kept  up  a 
sort  of  intimacy  afterward." 

Mr.  Dexter  ran  his  eyes  over  the  following: 

"  MESSRS.  CAMPION  &  BANGS  : 

"  Gentlemen, — There  is  not  much  for  me  to  write 
this  week  except  that  I  am  correct  in  thinking 
that  I  have  a  clew  to  my  man.  He  is  at  present 
planning  to  rob  a  man  of  wealth  with  whom  he  is 
now  on  a  yachting  trip.  Who  this  wealthy  gentle- 
man is  I  have  not  yet  discovered,  but  I  know  that 
he  first  met  him  at  some  hotel  in  this  city,  and  I 
think  that  I  can  soon  get  his  name ;  but  I  must 
first  bag  the  confederates  in  the  scheme,  who  are 
at  present  awaiting  Bolan's  return  to  New  York. 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

I  am  on  their  track,  and  have  possession  of  a  letter 
which  they  thought  destroyed  implicating  them 
in  the  great  Chicago  robbery.  I  have  also  the 
address  of  a  co-operator  of  theirs  in  Chicago, 
whom  I  know  well,  and  for  whose  capture  the 
authorities  have  offered  a  large  reward.  By  the 
time  you  receive  this  I  shall  have  this  man  in 
limbo,  as  I  start  for  Chicago  in  half  an  hour.  If 
we,  can  induce  this  rogue  to  turn  state's  evidence, — 
and  I  think  we  can  when  I  whisper  certain  facts  in 
his  ear, — he  may  give  us  the  present  hiding-place 
of  the  rest  of  the  gang,  who  are,  I  think,  somewhere 
in  the  Eastern  States.  I  can  through  them  proba- 
bly get  at  Gentleman  Jim.  There  are  so  many 
yachts  in  and  around  New  York,  and  they  change 
location  and  ownership  so  often,  that  it  would  be 
very  slow  work  getting  him  in  that  way,  and  I  do 
not  advise  it ;  therefore  I  have  decided  to  adopt 
the  other  course,  and  kill  two  birds  (or  perhaps 
half  a  dozen)  with  one  stone. 

"  Send  information  as  usual  to  headquarters  in 
Chicago  for  a  week  or  two. 

"  Yours  truly, 

"JONATHAN  FERRIS." 

During  Mr.  Dexter's  perusal  of  this  letter  the 
lawyer  was  plodding  with  a  half-amused  smile 
and  an  occasional  laugh  through  the  following 
from  Nettie : 


224       A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

"  CUP  ISLAND,  August  — ,  18 — . 

"  MY  OWN  PRECIOUS  UNCLE, — Just  think !  it  is  a 
whole  week  since  I  have  written  to  you.  It  is  too 
bad,  and  I  am  real  sorry,  but  I  have  been  so  much 
occupied,  and  there  are  so  many  things  to  do  here, 
that  it  is  difficult  to  find  opportunity  to  write.  I 
can  never  rely  upon  being  uninterrupted  for  five 
minutes.  Even  now,  as  I  write,  Belle,  her  brother, 
and  Mr.  Stratton  are  singing  a  lovely  trio  down- 
stairs, and  I  am  tempted  to  rush  down  and  join 
them  in  their  song.  I  am  so  glad,  dear  uncle,  that 
I  came  here  with  Belle  and  her  mother.  Dr. 
Tillottson  is  so  kind,  and  is  such  a  splendid  man 
to  have  on  such  an  expedition,  that  it  would  be 
hard  to  get  along  without  him.  He  knows  how 
to  do  almost  everything,  and  his  friend,  whom  he 
calls  '  Jack,'  keeps  us  laughing  nearly  all  the  time 
with  his  jokes  and  oddities.  I  never  felt  so  well 
and  strong  in  all  my  life,  and  am  getting  so  stout 
that  I  am  afraid  of  extravagant  dressmakers'  bills 
in  the  fall.  Sometimes  I  feel  much  as  though 
you  needed  me  with  you ;  you  must  be  so  dread- 
fully lonesome.  Now,  if  you  do  need  me,  I  will 
come  home  at  once,  for  I  could  not  be  happy  here 
if  I  thought  you  were  not  comfortable.  I  began 
to  tell  you  in  my  last  letter  about  our  yachting 
trip  with  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  but  was  interrupted. 
An  ocean  sail  he  called  it.  His  yacht  is  called 
the  '  Siren,'  and  is  furnished  magnificently. 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.        22$ 

"  Mr.  Stratton  says  that  Mr.  Van  Dusen  is  a 
millionaire.  I  should  certainly  think  so  from  his 
luxurious  way  of  living.  His  three  friends  are 
nice, — that  is,  two  of  them  are:  Professor  Romney, 
who  is  an  intensely  interesting  conversationalist, 
and  Mr.  Kendall,  a  clergyman,  who  is  a  very 
earnest  man.  The  other  is  a  Mr.  Craik.  His 
claims  to  distinction  seem  to  lie  solely  in  his 
bpauty  of  person.  He  is  the  finnicky  pink  of  per- 
fection in  manner  and  appearance ;  but  we  none  of 
us  like  him  very  well. 

"  Mr.  Stratton  drew  a  picture  of  him,  a  sort  of 
caricature,  which  is  so  good  that  I  enclose  it  for 
you  to  see.  Mr.  Craik  is  very  dark,  almost  like  a 
Spaniard,  and  extremely  good-looking;  but  his 
tastes  do  not  seem  to  harmonize  with  ours,  and  he 
is  restless  and  preoccupied,  and  at  all  times  ill  at 
ease  about  something. 

"  I  think  he  has  fallen  in  love  with  Belle.  Poor 
Belle,  it  is  just  her  luck.  You  remember  how  it 
was  at  home  last  winter.  Mr.  Craik  sends  her 
beautiful  flowers  almost  every  day  and  comes 
here  to  Cup  Island  nearly  every  evening. 

"Belle  dislikes  him,  but,  not  wishing  to  be  rude, 
treats  him  civilly.  He  has  been  abroad  a  great 
deal,  and  seems  familiar  with  French  and  Italian 
life.  I  think  from  his  speech  that  he  has  been 
much  in  England.  The  day  we  went  yachting  we 
sailed  over  fifty  miles,  and  went  ashore  at  a  place 
P 


226       A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

on  the  end  of  Long  Island  called  Oyster  Point. 
We  built  a  large  bonfire  upon  the  beach  in  which 
we  roasted  oysters,  clams,  fish,  and  green  corn. 
Oh,  uncle,  they  did  taste  so  good !  Then  after 
hunting  for  shells  and  sea-mosses  for  awhile  we 
went  on  board  the  '  Siren'  again  and  sailed  out 
upon  the  ocean.  It  was  lovely  until  it  began  to 
get  so  rough  that  I  was  afraid  Belle  would  be  sea- 
sick. Mrs.  Tillottson  and  her  sister  went  with  us, 
and  I  never  saw  anybody  enjoy  anything  as  she 
did  that  sail.  She  is  improving  so  much  in  health 
and  appearance  that  it  is  a  delight  to  see  her.  Her 
sister,  Miss  Tremane,  or  Aunt  Deborah,  as  Belle 
calls  her,  is  too  funny  for  anything,  not  a  bit  like 
Mrs.  Tillottson.  She  is  what  we  call  countryfied ; 
but  she  is  awfully  funny.  I  must  tell  you  some- 
thing she  said  to  me  to-day  which  made  me  laugh. 
She  was  speaking  of  her  health  here  by  the  sea, — 

"  '  Oh,  I'm  right  peart  'nufT — that's  the  way  she 
talks — '  so  fur  as  health  goes,'  said  she,  '  if  I  could 
only  walk  spruce.  Yer  see,  I've  a  bunion  on  me  left 
foot  and  the  rheumatiz  in  me  right  hip,  so  I  don't 
git  around  as  lively  as  a  cricket ;  but,  thank  good- 
ness, I  don't  limp,  for  the  bunion  balances  the 
rheumatiz  and  the  rheumatiz  balances  the  bunion, 
so  I'm  glad  I've  got  'em  both  at  the  same  time.' 

"  Mr.  Craik  was  very  attentive  to  Belle  during 
the  sail,  and  I  was  much  amused  watching  them, 
for  you  see  Jack  (that  is  what  we  all  call  Mr. 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.        22/ 

Stratton)  has  been  perfectly  devoted  to  Belle  ever 
since  we  have  been  here,  and  I  know  that  she 
likes  him  immensely;  so  Mr.  Craik's  attentions 
were  somewhat  ill-timed.  Of  course,  Jack  and 
Mr.  Craik  were  brought  much  together  with  Belle, 
and  it  was  very  funny.  I  felt  real  sorry  for  Jack, 
who  seems  to  be  such  a  good -hearted  fellow,  and 
the  soul  of  honor.  I  am  afraid  that  Belle  did  not 
erfjoy  herself  very  well,  although  she  insists  that 
she  had  a  delightful  time.  I  am  sure  I  did. 

"  Why,  uncle  darling,  I  actually  learned  how  to 
sail  the  yacht.  Mr.  Van  Dusen  allowed  me  to 
take  the  wheel,  and  he  and  Dr.  Tillottson,  who 
manages  a  boat  splendidly,  kindly  gave  me  lessons 
in  navigation.  This  was  on  our  way  home,  and  it 
is  too  funny  for  anything  what  happened.  I  had 
been  steering  the  '  Siren'  for  perhaps  twenty  min- 
utes, obeying  instructions  to  the  letter,  when  all 
of  a  sudden  there  was  not  a  breath  of  wind ;  we 
were  in  a  dead  calm.  Of  course,  we  did  not  budge 
an  inch  for  over  an  hour,  and  thus  ingloriously 
ended  my  first  real  experience  as  a  skipper.  You 
must  know,  dear  uncle,  that  skipper  means  captain. 

"  The  sun  poured  down  upon  us,  but  we  were 
all  very  jolly,  and  the  gentlemen  pretended  that 
they  could  raise  a  breeze  by  whistling.  They 
whistled  and  whistled,  but  not  a  puff  of  wind 
came  to  our  poor  loose  sails,  except  what  they 
produced  from  their  lungs.  We  had  our  supper 


228       A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

on  board  of  the  yacht,  and  were  all  as  hungry  as 
wolves.  There  are  a  hundred  things  that  I  would 
like  to  write  about  to-day,  but  they  are  beginning 
to  call  me  from  below,  and  are  getting  impatient 
for  me  to  join  them,  so  I  will  be  obliged  to  close 
this  rambling  sort  of  chat.  I  shall  have  all  the 
more  to  tell  though  if  I  don't  write  about  every- 
thing now.  Rest  assured  that  I  am  very,  very 
happy,  and  perfectly  well,  as  my  enormous  appe- 
tite will  amply  testify;  and  I  am,  dear  uncle,  just 
the  same  as  ever,  with  an  old-fashioned  hug  and 
kiss, 

"  Your  bouncing  big  girl, 

"  NETTIE." 

"  P.S. — Please  tell  Susan  not  to  forget  to  give 
'  Dickie'  his  chickweed,  and  I  hope  she  gives 
him  his  bath  every  morning  during  this  hot 
weather.  I  am  glad  he  sings  so  beautifully  and 
has  finished  moulting.  I  carry  your  letters  about 
with  me,  uncle  dear,  and  read  them  over  and  over 
again.  It  is  so  good  of  you  to  write  all  of  the 
news. 

"  Give  my  love  to  dear  Uncle  Camp,  and  all  who 
ask  after  me.  N." 

Mr.  Campion,  after  reading  carefully  every  word 
of  the  letter,  turned  quickly  to  his  friend,  and 
asked  for  the  drawing  of  Craik  which  had  been 
enclosed.  Mr.  Dexter  said  he  had  not  seen  it, 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        22g 

but  after  a  little  search  among  the  papers  upon  his 
table  he  found  it. 

The  lawyer  examined  it  carefully,  and  producing 
a  photograph  from  his  pocket  compared  the  two. 

"  Just  as  I  suspected,"  said  he,  "  when  I  began 
to  read  Nettie's  letter.  I  believe  that  this  Mr. 
Craik  and  James  Bolan  or  Gentleman  Jim,  alias 
Antoinne  DeLacy,  alias  Peter  Worden,  son  of  the 
Reverend  Elias  Worden,  are  one  and  the  same 
person. 

"  The  pictures,  though  very  different  in  some  re- 
spects, are  nevertheless  strikingly  alike.  Here  in 
the  photograph  he  has  long  hair  and  a  full  beard, 
while  in  the  drawing  he  has  on  a  broad-brimmed 
hat,  his  beard  is  shaved,  and  his  hair  is  cut  short ; 
but  the  resemblance  is  striking,  particularly  about 
the  eyes." 

Mr.  Dexter  took  the  pictures,  and,  after  examin- 
ing them  carefully,  said  that  he  could  see  no  re- 
semblance between  them  whatever ;  that  the  pencil 
drawing  represented  a  much  younger  man  than 
the  photograph. 

"  Well,  I  think  that  they  both  represent  one  and 
the  same  individual,"  said  the  lawyer;  "  at  any  rate, 
if  you  will  permit  me,  I  will  send  the  drawing  to 
Ferris.  He  has  one  of  the  photographs  in  his 
possession.  He  can  judge  better  than  we." 

"  Certainly,  by  all  means,"  said  Mr.  Dexter. 
"  The  clew  is  a  faint  one,  but,  after  all,  it  may  be 

20 


230       A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

good.  The  man  is  certainly  on  a  yacht  and  with 
a  millionaire." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Campion ;  "  and  I  believe  we 
have  discovered  our  man  in  this  Craik.  Now  if 
the  yachting  party  only  stay  where  they  are  long 
enough,  we  will  soon  be  able  to  have  him  in 
custody.  Ferris  will  jump  at  this  clew,  and  as 
soon  as  he  can  finish  his  Chicago  business  will 
probably  think  best  to  go  to  Oldport  at  once." 

"  If  this  man  Craik  is  such  a  rascal,"  said  Mr. 
Dexter,  very  seriously,  "  I  don't  like  the  idea  of 
his  being  so  near  my  Nettie.  I  shall  be  much 
troubled  until  I  know  that  he  is  attended  to." 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  that,  too,"  said  the 
lawyer,  quickly.  "  I'll  tell  you  what  I  think  had 
best  be  done,  Dexter." 

"Well,  what  is  it?" 

"  I  think,"  said  Mr.  Campion,  "  that  I  had  better 
go  to  the  dear  child  at  once,  or  in  a  few  days. 
My  legal  business  is  not  driving  me  at  present, 
and  Sniffen  can  easily  attend  to  whatever  turns  up 
during  my  absence ;  besides,  I  need  a  sniff  of  salt 
air  myself,  and  a  few  weeks  more  or  less  at  the 
sea-shore  will  do  me  a  power  of  good.  I  am  ac- 
quainted, you  know,  with  Mrs.  Tillottson  ;  her  hus- 
band was  a  noble  soul.  I  remember  once  I  went 
with  him  in  November,  some  years  ago,  for  a  week 
or  ten  days,  duck-shooting,  on  this  very  Cup 
Island,  as  he  called  it,  where  he  had  a  cosey  little 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        23! 

cottage.  It  was  fine  sport,  and  the  air  there  was 
marvellously  invigorating.  I  know  I  shall  greatly 
enjoy  a  trip  there  again.  I  can  find  some  board- 
ing-place at  Oldport,  you  know,  and  I  can  keep 
Nettie  in  sight  most  of  the  time  and  watch  Craik 
for  Ferris.  I  don't  want  Ferris  to  hurry  away 
from  Chicago  until  he  has  captured  those  rascals 
there." 

*"NMy  dear  Camp,"  said  Mr.  Dexter,  "your  offer 
is  generous  and  characteristic;  but  are  you  quite 
certain  that  out  of  the  kindness  of  your  heart  you 
are  not  offering  to  do  this  greatly  against  your 
own  best  interests  ?  Will  you  not  be  putting  your- 
self to  great  inconvenience  by  thus  leaving  your 
affairs  in  the  hands  of  a  clerk,  especially  when 
Bangs  is  away  ?" 

"  Oh,  Sniffen  is  all  right,"  said  Campion :  "  he 
has  been  with  us  so  long  that  we  place  the  most 
implicit  confidence  in  him;  and  as  for  my  action 
being  generous,  that's  all  nonsense,  Dexter.  I 
must  go  somewhere  this  summer.  You  don't 
want  a  fellow  to  work  himself  to  death,  do  you  ? 
I  shall  go;  and  I  shall  have  a  jolly  good  time,  for 
I  love  that  little  lass  of  yours  almost  as  though 
she  were  my  own  child." 

"  Well,  if  you  are  determined  to  go,  and  feel  that 
it  will  be  a  pleasure  to  you,  Camp,  I  am  sure  I 
think  it  an  excellent  plan,"  said  Mr.  Dexter,  who 
was  inwardly  delighted  to  have  his  stalwart  friend 


232 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


volunteer  as  Nettie's  protector;  "but  I  do  not 
wish  Nettie  to  know  of  my  illness,  or  of  Roger's 
death,  just  yet.  She  would  immediately  come 
home  to  me,  and  it  would  make  the  dear  child 
very  miserable  to  see  me  in  this  condition." 

"  She  shall  know  nothing  about  it,  if  I  can  pre- 
vent it,"  said  the  lawyer,  decisively,  "  until  you 
have  a  few  more  weeks  to  recuperate." 

"  My  physician  says  that  I  may  be  strong  enough 
to  walk  in  the  garden  next  week,"  said  Mr.  Dexter ; 
"  and  he  advises  me  to  drive  out  by  the  last  of  this 
week,  and  if  there  are  no  bad  effects  from  it  to 
drive  after  that  as  often  and  as  much  as  I  desire." 

"  That  is  good  news,  indeed,  my  dear  fellow," 
said  the  lawyer,  joyfully,  making  a  merry  pretence 
of  slapping  his  invalid  friend  upon  the  back,  while 
the  glittering  evidences  of  sympathetic  weakness 
hung  suspended  for  a  moment  in  the  corners  of 
his  eyes. 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  write  Nettie  a  line  tell- 
ing her  that  I  am  coming,  and  will  be  there  on, — 
let  me  see, — well,  say  Thursday ;  that  will  give  me 
three  days  to  get  my  affairs  into  good  shape  here. 
My  daughter,  Josie,  is  with  my  brother's  family 
at  Long  Branch,  where  she  will  remain  for  the 
present." 

Augustus  Campion  was  not  a  man  to  do  things 
by  halves.  After  leaving  his  friend  he  began  im- 
mediately to  make  his  preparations  for  departure. 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


233 


Entering  his  office  he  informed  Sniffen,  the  clerk, 
of  his  intention,  and  forthwith  began  to  instruct 
him  in  those  details  which  would  need  attention 
during  his  absence,  carefully  making  notes  of 
everything  with  his  usual  system.  His  mail  was 
to  be  forwarded  to  the  Oldport  post-office,  and 
Sniffen  was  to  keep  him  informed  daily  by  letter 
or,  if  necessary,  by  wire,  of  those  important  busi- 
ness events  which  might  transpire.  The  adjust- 
ment of  his  office  and  other  business  was  by  no 
means  a  small  undertaking  for  a  man  with  so  many 
irons  in  the  fire,  and  naturally  it  took  him  several 
days  to  accomplish  it ;  but  he  kept  perseveringly 
at  work,  not  omitting  the  smallest  item,  and  at  last 
felt  that  he  could  comfortably  leave  for  a  few  weeks, 
or  even  longer,  if  necessary.  The  day  before  his 
departure  he  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Bangs,  his 
partner,  written  at  Rome,  which  read  as  follows : 

"  ROME,  ITALY,  July  — ,  18 — . 

"  MY  DEAR  CAMPION, — I  have  arrived  here  but  a 
few  hours  since,  but  have  already  seen  the  legal 
representatives  of  the  deceased,  and  also  have  in- 
terviewed Mr.  Moses  Wigand,  the  partner  of  afore- 
said. To  be  brief,  I  find  the  estate  standing  about 
as  follows : 

"  A  one-third  interest  in  banking  firm,  which  is 
represented  by  stock  and  other  collateral,  and 
which  will  have  to  be  settled  by  sale  of  joint  se- 

20* 


234 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


curities  and  withdrawal  of  such  capital.  Roger 
Dexter,  or,  as  he  was  known  here,  Dexter  Rogers, 
was  also  the  owner  of  a  handsome  villa,  at  present 
closed  up.  It  is  situated  in  the  outskirts  of  Rome. 
This  property  is  rapidly  increasing  in  value,  and, 
being  very  desirable,  can  be  easily  turned  into  cash, 
should  I  get  your  instructions  to  that  effect.  The 
balance  of  the  estate  consists  of  personal  property, 
in  the  shape  of  government,  railroad,  and  manu- 
facturing securities,  which,  of  course,  I  will  inves- 
tigate and  keep  in  the  most  desirable  shape.  I 
enclose  detailed  list  with  affidavit.  .  .  . 

"  I  feel  tip  top.  This  Italian  air  is  fine.  Rome 
has  changed  but  little  since  you  and  I  were  here 
together. 

"  Wigand  is  a  fine  man.  He  was  very  much  at- 
tached to  Roger,  says  he  loved  him  as  a  brother. 
Have  written  to  Sarah,  my  wife,  by  same  mail. 
Please  drop  around  to  the  house  as  soon  as  con- 
venient, and  see  that  she  and  the  children  are  all 
right.  Will  write  again  in  a  day  or  two.  In  re- 
gard to  the  villa,  it  would  seem  to  me  wise  to  hold 
it  for  a  rise,  particularly  as  it  will  always  bring  an 
excellent  rent. 

"  In  haste,  yours, 

"  BANGS." 

Mr.  Campion  hastened  with  this  letter  to  Mr. 
Dexter,  stopping  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Bangs 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


235 


on  the  way  to  see  Mrs.  Bangs  and  have  a  few 
cheering  words  with  the  children. 

"  Now,"  said  the  lawyer  to  Mr.  Dexter,  after  the 
latter  had  carefully  read  Mr.  Bangs's  letter,  "  what 
had  we  better  do  about  the  villa  ?  Bangs  writes 
that  it  is  a  good  investment." 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Dexter,  "  what  do  you  think  ?" 

"A  great  deal  depends  upon  what  would  be 
Nettie's  desire  in  the  matter,"  replied  Mr.  Cam- 
pion. 

"  I  don't  think  she  would  care  much  one  way  or 
the  other,"  Mr.  Dexter  replied.  "  If  she  married  she 
might  choose  to  enjoy  a  winter  there  occasionally, 
and  her  ample  means  would  warrant  such  an  en- 
joyment; if  she  continued  single,  however,  she 
would  not  have  much  use  for  a  Roman  villa." 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think,"  said  Mr.  Campion, 
"that  we  had  better  act  for  Nettie  just  the  same 
as  we  would  for  ourselves.  If  the  property  is  an 
excellent  investment,  and,  as  Bangs  writes,  will 
bring  a  profitable  income,  it  might  be  the  wisest 
plan  to  hold  it  for  her.  Bangs's  judgment  is  very 
good  in  these  matters,  and  I  infer  from  the  way  he 
writes  that  he  thinks  we  would  probably  decide  to 
keep  it." 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  as  you  do,"  said  Mr. 
Dexter ;  "  it  is  evident  that  Mr.  Bangs  thinks  the 
property  will  appreciate  in  value." 

"  Well,  then,  I  will  wire  Bangs  to  wait  for  letter, 


236       A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

and  will  write  him  to  place  the  villa  in  proper 
hands  for  rent,  and  to  convert  the  other  securities 
into  cash  according  to  his  best  judgment." 

Thus  unknown  to  Nettie,  she  became  the  sole 
owner  of  a  beautiful  Roman  villa. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

Mrs.  Tillottson  remembers  an  Old  Friend — Mr.  Campion  pro- 
vided for — The  Van  Twists  visit  Cup  Island — Plans  for  an 
Open-air  Tea-party — Jack  to  deliver  an  Address. 

"  WHY,  Mr.  Campion  is  coming  to  Oldport,"  said 
Nettie  to  the  others,  as  they  sat  in  the  summer- 
house  one  pleasant  afternoon ;  "  and  he  is  coming 
on  Thursday,"  she  continued,  then  again  looking 
at  a  letter  from  her  uncle  which  she  had  just  re- 
ceived, she  read  aloud  as  follows : 

"I  think,  Nettie,  that  Camp"— "Uncle  always 
calls  him  Camp,"  she  explained — "has  missed  you 
almost  as  much  as  I,  at  any  rate  he  says  he  is 
going  to  Oldport  for  a  few  days  for  his  health. 
He  will  give  you  the  latest  news  from  home,  and 
be  with  you  on  Thursday  next.  Take  good  care 
of  the  dear  old  elephant,  and  see  that  he  is  not 
attacked  with  home-sickness." 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.        237 

"  Who  is  Mr.  Campion  ?"  asked  Tom,  a  curious 
feeling  shooting  keenly  through  him. 

"  Mr.  Campion  is  uncle's  dearest  friend,"  said 
Nettie. 

"  Is  his  name  Augustus  Campion  ?"  Mrs.  Tillott- 
son  asked. 

"  Why,  yes ;  but  how  did  you  know  ?"  said 
Nettie,  smiling. 

'^He  was  a  classmate  of  your  father's,  my  dear," 
said  Mrs.  Tillottson,  addressing  her  daughter,  then 
turning  to  Nettie  she  said,  pleasantly,  "  I  shall 
always  remember  Augustus  Campion  with  respect 
and  admiration.  My  husband  was  very  fond  of 
him.  I  think  he  was  the  most  unselfish  or  rather 
the  most  thoughtful  man  for  others  that  I  ever 
met.  I  am  very  glad  that  we  shall  so  soon  have 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  ;  but  how  is  his  wife  ?" 

"  Mrs.  Campion  died  at  least  five  years  ago," 
said  Nettie ;  "  and  he  has  but  one  child,  a  daughter 
about  my  own  age,  and  one  of  my  very  dear 
friends.  Belle  knows  her.  I  wish  he  would  bring 
Josephine  with  him,  but  uncle  writes  that  she  is 
now  at  Long  Branch  with  her  uncle's  family.  I 
suppose  she  will  spend  the  summer  there  at  their 
cottage." 

"Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Tillottson;  "that  is  Charles 
Campion,  who  married  Josephine  Brooks,  one  of 
my  New  York  friends.  Mr.  Campion  has  been 
quite  a  successful  lawyer,  has  he  not  ?" 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed,"  said  Nettie ;  "  uncle  says  he 
has  the  best  practice  in  our  part  of  the  State,  and 
that  he  is  one  of  our  wealthiest  citizens ;  but  no  one 
would  ever  suspect  it,  for  he  is  a  very  modest  man, 
and  attends  closely  to  his  legal  business.  By  the 
way,  Uncle  Adam  advises  me  to  look  for  a  place 
where  Mr.  Campion  can  have  a  room." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Tillottson,  "  that  is  advisable ; 
but,  of  course,  he  must  eat  his  meals  with  us,  if 
possible.  Thomas,  I  think  you  had  better  go  over 
at  once  and  ask  Mrs.  Sandy  if  she  will  accommo- 
date him.  I  think  that  she  will  probably  let  him 
have  the  room  that  we  vacated,  which  is  very 
comfortable." 

"All  right,"  said  the  doctor,  rising,  and  glad 
enough  to  be  of  service  to  Nettie ;  "  I  will  go  at 
once,  as  Sandy  will  also  be  pretty  sure  to  be  at 
home  at  this  time." 

"  And  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Nettie,  spring- 
ing to  her  feet  and  wrapping  her  shawl  about  her; 
"  for  I  feel  very  anxious  to  be  certain  about  accom- 
modations for  Uncle  Camp,  and,  besides,  I  desire  to 
write  an  answer  to  my  letter  about  it  this  evening 
if  possible." 

"  Don't  be  away  long,"  said  Mrs.  Tillottson ; 
"  for  Bid  will  ring  the  tea-bell  in  a  few  moments." 

"  Tell  her  to  blow  the  horn,"  said  Tom ;  "  and  if 
we  hear  it  we  will  hurry  back." 

"Very  well,"  said  his  mother,  smiling. 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        239 

"  How  old  is  your  friend,  Mr.  Campion  ?"  asked 
Tom  of  Nettie,  as  he  was  pulling  the  boat  across 
the  water. 

"  Give  a  guess,"  said  Nettie,  mischievously. 

"  Well,  I  will  guess  ninety-seven  years." 

"  Too  old  by  far,"  she  replied.    "  Did  you  think 
that  because  I  call  him  uncle,  and  because  he  is  a 
widower,  he  must  be  a  Methuselah  ?" 
*rc*Sixty,"  said  Tom. 

"  Too  old  again,"  said  Nettie,  decisively.  "  Why, 
he  is  as  active  and  energetic  as  you  are." 

"  Thirty-five,"  said  Tom,  in  despair. 

"  Wrong  again ;"  and  Nettie  could  no  longer  re- 
strain her  mirth.  "  Mr.  Campion, — or  Uncle  Camp, 
as  I  have  always  called  him  ever  since  I  was  a 
child  and  sat  upon  his  knee  and  listened  to  the 
delightful  stories  he  used  to  tell, — Uncle  Camp  is 
just  uncle's  age,  and  Uncle  Adam  was  fifty-seven 
last  May." 

Tom  felt  relieved,  and  showed  his  improved  con- 
dition by  an  attempt  to  change  the  subject. 

"  Well,  we  must  contrive  to  get  pleasant  rooms 
for  him  if  possible,"  he  said,  cheerfully.  "  Do  you 
know  I  have  a  strong  liking  already  for  your 
Uncle  Camp  ?  Is  he  a  little  man  ?" 

This  question  brought  another  hearty  laugh 
from  Nettie. 

"  Oh,  Dr.  Tillottson,"  she  said,  pathetically, 
"you  will  be  careful  with  him,  won't  you,  he  is  so 


240       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

very  tiny  and  delicate.  Why,  when  I  stand  up  so" 
— here  she  stood  up  in  the  boat,  at  the  imminent 
risk  of  capsizing  them  both — "and  hold  out  my 
arm  so" — more  risk  and  a  "  look  out"  from  Tom — 
"  he  can  easily  walk  right  under  it  without  touch- 
ing a  hair  of  his  head." 

Mr.  Campion  was  several  inches  over  six  feet  in 
height,  and  in  weight  was  probably  as  heavy  as 
Tom  and  Nettie  combined.  Of  course,  Nettie 
meant  that  he  could  pass  under  her  arm  by 
stooping ;  besides,  Mr.  Campion's  head  on  the 
top  was  as  smooth  and  free  from  hair  as  a  new 
billiard-ball. 

"  I  like  little  men,"  said  Tom,  roguishly ;  "  there 
is  something  so  pathetic,  so  appealing,  about  them  ; 
you  always  feel  as  though  being  bankrupt  in  avoir- 
dupois, they  should  be  indulged  and  treated  with 
kindness." 

"  Well,  I  hope  you  will  be  kind  to  dear  little 
Uncle  Camp,"  said  Nettie ;  "  although  I  must  say 
there  is  nothing  very  pathetic  about  him." 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sandy  were  both  at  home,  and 
freely  expressed  their  perfect  willingness  to  accom- 
modate another  boarder. 

"  Bless  my  soul,  I  remember  Mr.  Campion  well," 
said  Sandy,  who  seemed  delighted ;  "  an'  a  jolly 
Dick  he  was,  too.  He  kem  here  twelve  years  ago 
next  November,  with  yer  daddy,  Dorkter ;  an'  a 
cleaner  shot  never  drawed  a  bead  on  a  duck.  I'll 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


241 


be  mighty  glad  ter  see  him."  So  Nettie  and  Tom 
left  the  Sandy  cottage  with  the  pleasing  conviction 
that  Mr.  Campion  would  receive  a  hearty  welcome 
there  at  any  rate. 

"  I  suppose  I  saw  your  Uncle  Camp  when  he 
was  here  before,  if  Sandy  is  right,"  said  Tom; 
"  but  I  cannot  recall  his  appearance.  If  I  remem- 
ber right,  all  of  my  father's  friends  on  those  duck- 
ing parties  were  large  men ;  but,  of  course,  a  boy 
will  not  form  correct  ideas  of  size." 

Nettie  smiled.  "  If  it  is  easy  to  remember  large 
men,"  said  she,  "  it  is  probably  difficult  to  recollect 
small  ones ;  but  you  will  not  easily  forget  Uncle 
Camp  again  when  you  see  him,  he  is  so  very 
jolly." 

It  was  evident  that  Nettie  liked  to  tease. 

One  afternoon,  not  long  after  this,  Mrs.  Van 
Twist  and  her  daughter  were  rowed  over  to  Cup 
Island,  to  return  the  visit  which  Belle  and  Nettie 
had  made  them. 

The  ladies  all  received  them  cordially,  the  gen- 
tlemen being  absent  on  some  sailing-trip.  After 
highly  praising  the  coziness  of  their  cottage  Mrs. 
Van  Twist,  in  the  course  of  her  conversation, 
said, — 

"  My  cousin,  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  has  been  very 
kind  to  us  all." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Mrs.  Tillottson ;  "  we  feel 
very  grateful  to  him  for  his  hospitality,  and  for  the 


242       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

many  little  courtesies  which  he  has  extended  to  us. 
I  sincerely  wish  it  was  in  our  power  to  return  some 
of  his  kindness." 

"  How  would  it  do  for  us  to  give  a  lawn-party  ?" 
said  Belle.  "  It  seems  to  me  it  would  be  delightful 
on  some  moonlight  evening." 

"  Unfortunately,  we  have  no  lawn,"  said  her 
mother,  "  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  entertain 
many  in  our  small  cottage." 

"  I  have  it,"  said  Alice  Van  Twist,  with  emphasis. 
"  We  will  give  an  open-air  tea-party  upon  Smoke 
Island,  sending  each  gentleman  a  written  invitation, 
worded  something  like  this :  '  The  ladies  of  Cup 
and  Smoke  Islands  request  the  pleasure  of  your 
presence  at  an  open-air  tea-party  upon  Smoke 
Island  on  Saturday  next,  if  pleasant,  at  five  P.M.'  " 

"  That  is  a  very  good  idea,"  said  Mrs.  Van 
Twist.  "  I  think  we  will  be  able  to  give  them  en- 
joyment." 

The  others  assented  to  this  plan,  each  one  agree- 
ing to  do  something  toward  making  it  a  success. 
The  refreshments  were  to  be  furnished  by  the 
ladies  of  both  islands.  Belle  volunteered  to  deco- 
rate some  cake ;  Nettie  was  to  look  after  the  tea ; 
Miss  Van  Twist  said  she  would  have  some  lobster 
salad,  and  invited  the  girls  to  come  over  early  on 
Saturday  to  assist  in  decorating  their  cottage.  It 
was  also  planned  that  after  the  tea  there  should  be 
a  musical  performance  upon  the  water,  which  was 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


243 


to  consist  of  a  vocal  quartette  by  Tom,  Jack,  Belle, 
and  Nettie ;  a  solo  by  Miss  Van  Twist  to  banjo 
accompaniment,  and  a  duet  to  banjo  accompani- 
ment by  Belle  and  Jack,  after  which  they  were  all 
to  visit  Cup  Island,  where  Mr.  Stratton  would 
deliver  an  address. 

"  Oh,  he  will  do  it,"  said  Belle,  in  reply  to  a 
question  from  her  mother  as  to  whether  Jack 
\Vtruld  consent ;  "  he  can  do  anything  that  he  sets 
his  mind  to." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  it  will  be  done  well 
if  he  does  it  at  all,"  said  Mrs.  Tillottson.  "  We  will 
also  ask  Mr.  Campion  to  make  us  a  speech;  he  is  a 
splendid  speaker,  and  one  of  the  most  humorous 
and  original  men  that  I  ever  met." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Nettie ;  "  that  will  be  splendid  ; 
Uncle  Camp  is  so  very  funny  when  he  is  having  a 
good  time." 

These  and  some  other  plans  were  made  and 
agreed  to  by  all  of  the  ladies,  after  which  the  Van 
Twists  left,  much  pleased  at  the  result  of  their  visit, 
and  resolved  to  do  all  in  their  power  to  make  the 
tea-party  a  success. 


244 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

The  Sail  to  Millville  Light — Blue-fishing — Captain  and  Mrs. 
Parkins  entertain — Jack  talks  with  a  Parrot — Jack  opens  his 
Heart — Belle's  Tongue  is  loosened — Mr.  Campion  arrives — 
He  makes  a  Confidante  of  Mrs.  Tillottson. 

IT  happened  that  Mr.  Van  Dusen  had  invited 
the  Cup  Island  party  and  the  Van  Twists  to  visit 
Captain  Parkins  at  the  Millville  light-house,  on 
the  very  day  when  Mr.  Campion  was  to  arrive  at 
Oldport.  On  this  account  Nettie  hesitated  some 
about  going,  but  was  finally  persuaded,  after  in- 
structing Sandy  to  meet  him  at  the  station  with 
the  wagon.  Mrs.  Tillottson  concluded  to  stay  at 
home,  which  also  somewhat  eased  Nettie's  mind. 

The  sail  on  the  "  Siren"  was  delightful.  They 
left  Oldport  Harbor  about  eight  o'clock,  on  one 
of  those  mornings  which,  in  the  heat  of  summer, 
are  so  charming  upon  the  water.  The  air  was 
cool  and  full  of  invigorating  freshness.  On  their 
way  they  threw  over  several  blue-fish  lines,  troll- 
ing for  blue-fish.  The  fish  that  morning  seemed 
particularly  voracious,  for  hardly  had  the  first  line, 
which  was  Belle's,  been  out  a  moment,  before  a 
six-pound  fish  was  pulling  vigorously  at  the  other 
end.  Belle  shouted  for  assistance,  for  the  strain 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


245 


upon  the  stout  line  was  too  much  for  her  delicate 
feminine  hands.  Jack  and  Mr.  Craik,  who  were 
usually  at  hand  whenever  she  needed  anything, 
both  responded,  and  the  fish  was  soon  landed 
struggling  and  gasping  upon  the  clean  white  deck 
of  the  yacht,  where  it  was  turned  over  to  the 
charge  of  a  sailor.  Nettie's  line  had  by  this  time 

been  thrown  out,  and  in  a  moment  or  two  all  were 

f 

eagerly  holding  their  lines  in  the  exciting  expecta- 
tion of  a  struggle  with  fish. 

Trolling  is  by  no  means  tame  sport,  when  the 
fish  are  punctual  to  bite  and  of  lusty  size ;  and  as 
the  boat  sails  swiftly  through  the  water  under  a 
stiff  breeze,  there  is  plenty  of  excitement  in  having 
a  struggling,  vigorous  six-  or  eight-pounder  pulling 
at  the  far  end  of  sixty  or  eighty  feet  of  line;  now 
rushing  toward  the  boat  with  surprising  speed, 
the  fish  will  slacken  the  line  for  a  moment,  giving 
one  the  impression  that  it  has  parted  and  the  fish 
has  escaped,  till  suddenly,  with  a  quick  jerk,  he  is 
felt  travelling  in  another  direction,  and  the  taut 
line  threatens  to  cut  through  the  heavy  leather  or 
canvas  mittens,  which  it  is  always  policy  to  wear 
upon  these  occasions.  But,  when,  after  slowly  and 
surely  pulling  him  in  "  hand  over  hand"  until  he 
can  be  seen,  a  long  flash  of  pale  blue  light  darting, 
now  to  one  side,  now  to  the  other,  and  then,  per- 
haps, jumping  in  frantic  efforts  several  feet  out 
of  the  water,  until  finally  with  a  steady  quick  pull 

21* 


246 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


he  is  landed  safely  on  deck,  one  feels  that  the  effort 
is  well  repaid. 

When  Belle  had  landed  the  first  fish,  Mr.  Van 
Dusen  had  the  yacht  put  about,  and  they  sailed 
through  the  school  several  times,  consuming  con- 
siderable time,  but  catching  altogether  fifteen  good- 
sized  beauties. 

Later  they  dined  upon  the  yacht,  and  had  the 
pleasure  of  eating  some  of  the  fish  which  they  had 
caught.  During  the  excitement,  and  after  Belle's 
good  fortune,  Tom  found  opportunity  to  ask  Nettie 
if  she  did  not  think  she  could  hasten  her  luck  by 
again  transforming  him  into  a  fish. 

"  No,"  said  Nettie ;  "  for  you  would  be  sure  to 
be  too  loquacious,  and,  of  course,  could  not  bite 
and  talk  at  the  same  time ;  besides,  I  mean  soon 
to  catch  a  large  fish."  The  words  were  scarcely 
uttered  before,  sure  enough,  she  was  surprised  by 
a  rude  jerk  at  the  line,  pulling  her  arms  out  straight, 
and  reminding  her  that  it  requires  strength  to  hold 
a  good-sized,  angry  blue-fish.  Tom  laughingly 
helped  her  pull  in  the  line,  advising  her  now  and 
then  how  to  handle  it,  until  the  fish  was  close 
under  the  stern  of  the  yacht,  when  she,  knowing 
herself  incapable  of  landing  such  a  monster,  re- 
linquished it,  and  he,  with  a  strong  lift,  brought 
safely  to  the  deck  a  noble  specimen  weighing  in 
the  scales  just  eight  pounds  and  five  ounces,  and 
the  largest  capture,  so  it  proved,  of  the  day. 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


247 


When  the  yacht  arrived  off  the  Millville  light- 
house, Mr.  Van  Dusen  ordered  the  sailors  to  load 
and  fire  the  little  brass  cannon,  which  brought  into 
sight  Captain  Parkins,  who  waved  his  hat  from  the 
beach  in  acknowledgment  of  the  salute. 

They  then  went  ashore  in  the  yawl,  and  were  all 
introduced  by  Jack  and  Tom  to  the  captain  and  his 
good  wife.  Mrs.  Parkins  invited  them  into  the 
ht>use,  which  was  a  -neat  little  cottage,  built  at  the 
rear  of  and  adjoining  the  light-house  proper.  This 
latter  was  a  round  monumental  structure  of  great 
height,  built  of  brick,  and  painted  white. 

After  enjoying  and  praising  the  excellence  of 
some  cider  and  "  doughnuts,"  which  were  fur- 
nished by  Mrs.  Parkins,  they  were  escorted  up 
into  the  tall,  white  tower  adjoining,  where  the  cap- 
tain uncovered  the  immense  crystals  which  refract 
and  radiate  the  powerful  light,  explaining  to  them 
the  accurate  adjustment  of  clock-work  by  which 
the  beacon  is  shut  off  or  exposed  at  regular  inter- 
vals, and  giving  them  varied  information  in  regard 
to  the  light-house  service. 

They  did  not  stay  up  in  the  tower  long,  how- 
ever, for  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun  made  doubly 
powerful  by  the  reflection  of  the  heavy  plate- 
glass  windows,  which  surround  the  circular  apart- 
ment, and  the  strong  odor  of  oil,  did  not  help  to 
rivet  attention  to  the  captain's  words,  particularly 
that  of  the  young  ladies;  so  after  enduring  it  as  long 


248 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


as  they  could,  they  cut  short  the  captain's  enthu- 
siastic eulogium  upon  lights  and  light-houses  in 
general  by  leading  the  way  to  terra-firma. 

Separating  into  groups  they  strolled  about  the 
neighborhood,  if  such  it  could  be  called,  for  it  was 
simply  a  cape  or  point,  with  a  long,  sloping  sandy 
beach,  and  here  or  there  a  cluster  of  immense 
black  rocks,  against  which  the  waves  were  beating 
with  a  persistent  roar.  The  Van  Twists,  Mr.  Van 
Dusen,  and  Craik  followed  Mrs.  Parkins.  Mr. 
Kendall  and  the  professor  went  with  the  captain 
to  the  east  side  of  the  point,  where  he  promised  to 
show  them  the  remains  of  a  large  schooner  which 
had  been  driven  upon  the  rocks  early  in  the  season. 
Tom  and  Nettie  were,  as  usual,  after  shells  and 
mosses  along  the  shore;  Aunt  Deb  had  squatted 
herself  upon  the  beach  under  an  umbrella,  de- 
claring that  she  would  not  budge  another  step, 
while  Jack  and  Belle  sat  in  the  shadow  of  the 
cottage  and  amused  themselves  by  talking  and 
listening  to  a  beautiful  parrot,  which  the  captain 
had  brought  from  the  Indies  a  number  of  years 
previous.  Jack  opened  quite  a  sociable  conversa- 
tion with  the  bird,  who,  however,  insisted  upon 
talking  in  Spanish  the  greater  part  of  the  time. 
Here  is  a  sample  of  their  conversation : 

Jack :  "  Hello,  Polly." 

Polly :  "  Ha,  ha,  ha,"  followed  by  a  prolonged 
whistle. 


A   SUMMER  IN   OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


249 


Jack :  "  Ha,  ha,  ha,"  and  a  prolonged  whistle. 

Polly :  "  Ha.     Que  hora  es  ?     Pretty  bird." 

Jack:  "Yes,  pretty  bird.  What  did  you  say, 
Polly?" 

Polly,  trying  to  bite  Jack's  finger :  "  Mai  tempo 
muy  malo  muchacho." 

Jack :  "  Ha,  ha  !    Why  Poll,  that  isn't  English." 

Polly:  "Get  out!  Hurry  up!  Oh-h-h-h ! 
OhVh-h-h!"  A  whistle.  "Que  quiere  usted?" 
and  so  on,  Polly  always  getting  the  upper  hand 
in  the  argument,  for  Jack's  Spanish  was  none  of 
the  best. 

Then  leaving  the  bird  they  strolled  down  upon 
the  sandy  beach,  where  they  sat  in  the  shadow  of 
a  huge  rock  listening  to  the  roar  of  the  waters, 
and  watching  the  graceful  sea-gulls  sailing  about 
them  in  the  air.  They  were  both  very  happy. 
Belle  knew  that  Jack  adored  her,  for  since  their 
first  meeting  he  had  told  her  so  by  a  thousand 
little  spontaneous  demonstrations,  which  were  as 
plain  to  her  as  so  many  words.  Thus  they  sat 
loving  and  silent,  when  suddenly  Jack's  manner 
changed.  He  became  very  communicative  and 
nervous  in  his  actions  one  moment,  and  the  next 
would  be  absent-minded,  and  apparently  ill  at 
ease.  Belle,  with  accurate  feminine  wisdom,  knew 
that  he  was  having  an  inward  struggle  with  him- 
self, and  would  soon  tell  her  of  his  love.  She 
pitied  him,  and  something  in  the  expression  of 


250 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


her  beautiful  face  encouraged  him  to  stammer 
out, — 

"  Miss  Tillottson,  Isabel,  you  must  know  by  this 
time  that  I  love  you,  that  I  worship  the  very 
ground  beneath  your  feet." 

Jack  hesitated  a  moment  from  sheer  excitement, 
and  Belle  felt  her  hot  brows  throbbing  with  every 
heart-beat. 

"  I  have  thought,"  he  continued,  "  sometimes 
that  perhaps  it  would  be  unfair  for  me  to  speak 
of  this  during  our  stay  at  Cup  Island,  but  since 
the  arrival  of  your  dear  mother  I  have  been  en- 
couraged to  tell  you  my  secret.  In  fact,  I  can  no 
longer  hold  it;  I  must  speak."  Then  seeing  that 
Belle's  face  bore  an  expression  of  great  joy,  he 
said,  taking  her  hand  between  both  of  his  own, 
"  Belle,  my  darling,  tell  me  that  my  love  is  re- 
turned." 

Belle's  hand  remained  where  it  was,  but  she 
could  not  speak  ;  the  blood,  which  at  first  had  left 
her  cheeks  ashy  pale,  now  came  crowding  in  rich 
color  into  her  beautiful  face ;  her  whole  soul  was 
overcome  with  emotion,  and  two  great  tears  of 
joy  stealing  out  from  the  downcast  lids,  dropped 
upon  Jack's  hand. 

"  Quick,  my  darling,"  he  said,  "tell  me  that  you 
love  me." 

Belle's  head,  which  had  been  bending  lower  and 
lower,  gave  a  little  involuntary  nod  of  assent,  and 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


251 


the  next  moment  it  was  lying  upon  his  breast, 
while  he  clasped  her  lovingly  to  him. 

The  waves  kept  on  their  sorrowful  song,  and 
the  gulls  continued  to  circle  about  them  in  the 
air,  but  these  two  lovers  knew  it  not  A  new 
world  had  thrown  wide  its  portals  to  them.  Life 
was  just  beginning. 

Belle's  tongue  was  now  loosened,  indeed  it  was 
renfarkably  glib.  She  told  Jack  how  dearly  she 
had  loved  him  from  the  first,  and  he  kissed  her  for 
that ;  she  told  him  how  she  feared  and  had  tried 
to  avoid  Craik,  and  he  kissed  her  for  that ;  prob- 
ably, if  she  had  told  him  that  his  moustache  was 
on  fire,  he  would  have  sealed  the  information  in 
the  same  ardent  manner. 

He  told  her,  in  return,  of  his  hopes  and  fears ; 
how  he  had  passed  many  of  the  long  nights  in 
wakefulness,  sometimes  sitting  in  the  cool  star- 
light under  her  window,  sometimes  lying  in  his 
bunk  at  the  cottage,  but  always  with  his  thoughts 
fixed  upon  her,  his  angel ;  and  then  he  kissed  her 
for  being  his  angel. 

It  was  agreed  between  them  that  until  he  had 
spoken  with  her  mother,  and  for  the  present,  their 
engagement  was  to  be  kept  a  secret.  They  were 
very  happy  as  they  returned  to  the  cottage  where 
the  others  were  awaiting  them,  and  a  pang  shot 
through  the  breast  of  Craik  as  he  saw  them  ap- 
proaching side  by  side,  for  he  could  not  help 


252       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

realizing  in  a  measure  how  matters  stood  with 
them.  He  was  very  attentive,  however,  to  Belle 
during  the  return  sail,  striving  in  every  manner  to 
win  her  regard.  It  was  well  for  Belle  that  she  was 
strong,  for  Craik  had  a  most  winning  way  with 
women,  which,  aided  by  his  remarkably  handsome 
face  and  figure,  had  scored  for  him  many  a  victory. 
But  we  know  Belle  too  well  to  even  for  a  moment 
think  that  she  could  waver  from  the  noble  instincts 
of  her  nature. 

She  was  truly  a  woman,  not  a  coquette.  Like 
most  women,  she  had  an  eye  for  beauty  and  a  taste 
for  refinement,  and  at  first  she  had  greatly  admired 
those  qualities  in  Craik ;  but  in  the  accurate  scales 
of  her  feminine  judgment  they  never  weighed  a 
feather's  weight  against  Jack,  with  his  honest  out- 
spoken ways  and  joyous  disposition.  She  seemed 
to  read  the  inner  man  in  Craik  as  she  was  thrown 
more  and  more  in  his  society,  aided  by  little  re- 
marks which  he  would  make  from  time  to  time 
when  temporarily  off  his  guard. 

The  following  is  a  sample  of  the  manner  in 
which  he  would  expose  himself  to  her  inspection. 
As  they  sailed  homeward  the  sea,  which  was  a 
trifle  rough,  occasionally  broke  across  the  bow  of 
the  yacht,  throwing  a  spray  over  the  whole  deck. 
The  first  time  that  this  happened  Jack,  who  had 
found  a  shawl  belonging  to  Belle,  threw  it  with  a 
knowing  smile  into  her  lap,  and  she  placed  it  about 


A    SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


253 


her  thinly-clad  shoulders  to  protect  her  from  future 
showers.  Craik,  who  sat  close  beside  her,  made  a 
motion  to  assist  her  in  adjusting  the  shawl,  but  she 
declined  his  assistance,  saying,  as  she  did  so,  that 
she  was  accustomed  to  waiting  upon  herself. 

"  But  you  would  not  object,  I  suppose,  to  having 
a  handy  dressing-maid  ?"  said  Craik. 

"  Yes,  I  should  most  decidedly,"  said  Belle. 
"  €5f  course,  if  I  was  unable  to  arrange  my  own 
toilet  the  case  might  be  different,  but  while  I  have 
health  and  strength  I  prefer  to  wait  upon  myself. 
Still,  I  do  not  object  to  the  employment  of  a  maid 
by  others ;  tastes  differ  greatly,  and  it  would  be 
wrong  to  lay  down  a  rule  for  all." 

"  I  thought  all  women  delighted  in  being  waited 
upon,"  said  Craik. 

"  Not  all,"  said  Belle ;  "  some  delight  in  waiting 
upon  others." 

"  Oh,  yes,  when  they  are  married,  of  course," 
said  Craik,  laughing. 

Belle  understood  the  drift  of  his  remark,  but  she 
could  not  laugh.  She  had  spoken  honestly,  un- 
selfishly, and  had  meant  that  many  good  women 
love  to  be  of  use  to  their  fellow-creatures ;  but  the 
beauty  of  this  thought  had  been  entirely  lost  upon 
Craik,  whose  idea  of  feminine  usefulness  was  con- 
fined to  that  of  a  wife  to  her  husband.  It  was  in 
this  way  and  many  others  that  Craik  had  betrayed 
the  selfishness  of  his  nature,  and  Belle  could  see 


254 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


the  cruelty  that  lurked  beneath  a  pleasing  ex- 
terior. 

Jack  was  in  ecstasy,  and  it  did  Belle's  heart 
good  to  see  how  happy  she  had  made  him.  He 
told  funny  stories  to  Mrs.  Van  Twist,  smoked  a 
cigar  with  Van  Dusen,  made  the  major  laugh  until 
he  had  the  hiccoughs,  started  up  lively  songs  in 
which  they  all  joined,  and  helped  the  sailors  in 
the  management  of  the  yacht,  all  the  time  keeping 
a  wary  eye  of  affectionate  regard  upon  Belle.  It 
seemed  impossible  for  him  to  sit  still  a  moment. 
Belle,  who  was  talking  with  Craik,  would  occasion- 
ally find  her  attention  attracted  by  a  general  laugh, 
and  on  investigating  the  cause  would  invariably 
find  that  it  was  Jack.  He  sprawled  himself  out 
upon  the  narrow  bowsprit  at  the  imminent  risk 
of  a  ducking  in  the  sound,  singing  meantime  at 
the  top  of  his  voice  snatches  from  the  popular 
operas  of  the  day.  He  climbed  the  rigging  until 
the  ladies,  with  fear  depicted  upon  their  faces,  im- 
plored him  to  come  down ;  he  walked  the  deck 
pretending  to  be  "half  seas  over,"  begging  charity 
from  the  others,  and  stating  in  the  spluttering 
language  of  a  drunken  wretch  that  he  was  an 
honest  sailor  walking  from  San  Francisco  to 
Boston  to  see  his  wife  and  children,  who  "  God 
bless  them  are  dyin'  to  see  their  daddy." 

He  imitated  every  variety  of  animal  known  to 
Barnum,  and  some  that  neither  Barnum  nor  any 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

mortal  ever  saw  or  heard.  He  borrowed  Aunt 
Deb's  "  specs"  and,  mounting  a  stool,  preached  a 
sermon  upon  the  "  frailty  of  human  expectations," 
which  greatly  amused  Belle,  and  somewhat  dis- 
concerted Craik.  It  was  evident  to  all  that  Jack 
was  happy.  There  were  but  two  people  on  board, 
however,  who  really  suspected  the  cause ;  and 
these  were  Tom  and  Nettie.  Miss  Van  Twist  was 
enjoying  the  excursion  also,  for  Mr.  Kendall  had 
been  very  attentive  to  her  during  the  day. 

Mr.  Kendall  had  surprised  himself  by  discover- 
ing many  hidden  virtues  in  Miss  Van  Twist;  and, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  this  young  woman  possessed 
in  a  corner  of  her  nature  an  innate  taste  for  Sunday- 
school,  church,  and  missionary  work;  it  seemed 
to  develop  in  her,  under  his  encouragement,  like  a 
weed  in  the  sun.  It  was  remarkable ;  and  her  fond 
mother  gazed  with  a  feeling  of  maternal  pride  and 
admiration,  well  mixed  with  amazement,  as  she 
heard  her  draw  the  reverend  young  gentleman 
out  upon  these  important  topics.  It  was  phe- 
nomenal. Mr.  Kendall  considered  himself  a  man 
of  unusual  penetration,  and  it  proved  that  he  was 
right,  especially  when  the  object  of  his  favor  was 
so  clever  a  lady  as  Alice  Van  Twist,  and  withal  so 
extremely  pleasing  to  his  masculine  vanity. 

So  they  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  day  together, 
these  two  young  people  ;  and  when  Miss  Van  Twist 
tried  to  sleep  that  night  she  found  that  her  eyes 


256        A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

would  pop  open,  and  that,  open  or  shut,  they  always 
brought  her  visions  of  Mr.  Kendall's  handsome 
beard,  and  Mr.  Kendall's  fine  eyes. 

Meantime  Mr.  Campion  arrived  in  Oldport; 
was  met  by  Mr.  Sandy,  and  conveyed  with  his 
baggage  to  Sandy's  house.  After  taking  dinner 
and  smoking  his  customary  cigar,  he  went  with 
Sandy  to  Cup  Island,  where  he  was  welcomed  by 
Mrs.  Tillottson,  who  was  expecting  him.  As  we 
have  before  intimated,  Mrs.  Tillottson  was  one  of 
his  ardent  admirers.  He  had  been  a  true  friend 
of  her  husband's,  and  in  the  early  days  of  her 
married  life  they  had  seen  much  of  each  other. 

It  was  now  over  fifteen  years  since  they  had  met, 
and  each  had  some  curiosity  to  know  how  time 
had  treated  the  other. 

"  Well,  well,  Mary,"  said  Mr.  Campion,  "  is  it 
indeed  you  ?  Why,  you  look  as  though  your  life 
had  been  spent  among  rose-leaves  and  infant 
angels." 

"  Among  roses  and  infants,  perhaps,"  said  Mrs. 
Tillottson,  laughing,  as  they  seated  themselves 
under  the  shade  of  the  chestnut-trees,  in  front  of 
the  little  cottage  ;  "  but  I  am  looking  better  than  I 
was  a  few  weeks  ago  at  home.  I  was  actually 
driven  from  home  by  my  physician,  who  insisted 
that  I  needed  salt  air ;  and  it  proves  he  was  right, 
for  I  feel  so  remarkably  well  here,  and  we  are 
having  such  pleasant  times,  that  I  am  inclined  to 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

stay  forever.  Has  your  health  been  good  all  of 
these  long  years  ?  But  I  need  not  ask ;  I  can  see 
for  myself  that  you  are  as  well  and  strong  as  ever. 
How  is  your  daughter,  Josephine  ?" 

"  Well,  quite  well,"  he  replied,  "  when  last  I 
heard  from  her  a  few  days  ago.  This  is  the  same 
old  fascinating  spot,  Mary,  and  it  seems  but  yester- 
d^y*  since  we  were  here,  your  dear  husband,  Tom, 
bless  his  memory,  the  life  of  the  party,  and  all  in- 
tent upon  the  capture  of  fish  and  the  slaughter 
of  ducks." 

Thus  they  continued  to  talk  of  old  times  until 
the  conversation  gradually  drifted  upon  the  events 
of  the  present ;  then  he  told  her  about  the  death 
of  Roger  Dexter,  about  Mr.  Dexter's  serious  ill- 
ness, and  the  object  of  his  visit  to  Oldport,  about 
his  suspicions  of  Craik,  in  fact  everything ;  for  as 
he  proceeded  he  felt  that  same  inclination  to  make 
a  confidante  of  her,  which  people  generally  felt  who 
once  thoroughly  knew  her.  She  listened  patiently, 
the  tears  coming  and  going  in  her  beautiful  eyes, 
as  he  touched  upon  the  pathetic  portions  of  his 
story,  and,  finally,  when  he  had  informed  her  of 
Mr.  Dexter's  desire  to  keep  Nettie  in  ignorance 
for  awhile  of  these  events,  especially  that  of  his 
illness,  she  said,  feelingly, — 

"  I  think  your  friend  is  a  noble  man.  Nettie  has 
a  large  and  tender  heart,  and  it  will  save  her  much 
pain  to  keep  these  unfortunate  facts  from  her  for  a 


258 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


time,  especially  as  her  uncle  is  improving  so 
rapidly.  As  to  this  man  Craik,  I  have  struggled 
against  an  overwhelming  antipathy  against  him 
ever  since  he  came.  I  am  sure  he  is  the  man  you 
seek,  for  I  have  frequently  noticed  the  very  de- 
formity of  the  little  finger  which  you  have  men- 
tioned. But  what  will  you  do  now?  Arrest 
him?" 

"  No,  I  think  not,"  said  Mr.  Campion,  "  at  least 
not  immediately ;  he  is  connected  with  a  regular 
organized  band  of  thieves,  some  of  whom  are 
working  in  this  country  at  present.  The  authori- 
ties with  whom  I  am  in  correspondence  are  anxious 
to  unearth  as  many  of  these  rascals  as  possible, 
and  have  already  woven  the  net  which  will  capture 
them,  but  a  little  time  is  necessary,  and  meantime 
I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  stay  here  as  a  sort  of 
protection  to  you  and  the  girls,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  watch  this  crafty  outlaw.  Of  course, 
Mary,  you  understand — in  fact,  it  is  unnecessary 
for  me  to  tell  you — that  these  facts  which  I  have 
mentioned  are  secrets,  and  to  be  kept  in  strict 
confidence  from  every  one  for  the  present." 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        2$() 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

Craik  Outwitted — Tom  and  Nettie  become  Cupid's  Unconscious 
Victims — A  Touching  Scene  in  the  Summer-house — The  Tea- 
party — Jack's  Address,  and  Aunt  Deb's  Suggestions — A  Silent 

Declaration.  4 

f 

MR.  CAMPION  spent  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
after  this  upon  Cup  Island.  He  would  breakfast 
at  the  Sandy  cottage,  then  leisurely  read  his  mail, 
smoke  a  cigar,  and  peruse  the  daily  papers,  when, 
it  being  by  this  time  about  nine  or  ten  o'clock,  he 
would  take  a  boat  and  row  himself  over  to  the 
Tillottson  cottage. 

The  addition  of  Augustus  Campion  to  their 
family  circle  was  a  happy  circumstance  for  them 
all :  he  was  as  full  of  animal  spirits  as  Jack : 
genial,  fond  of  anecdote,  as  generous  of  impulse 
as  a  child,  he  gave  himself  up  wholly  to  the  en- 
joyment of  this  invigorating  life  by  the  sea. 

He  was  presented  to  Van  Dusen  and  his  guests 
shortly  after  his  arrival,  and  by  his  gentlemanly 
bearing,  genial  disposition,  and  sensible  remarks 
soon  won  their  respect  and  admiration.  Van 
Dusen  already  knew  him  by  reputation,  and  was 
proud  to  invite  him  to  the  yacht  as  often  as 
possible.  Fishing  parties  were  planned  and  car- 


26o       A   SUMMER   IN   OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

ried  out,  in  which  he  participated,  and  he  was  the 
central  figure  of  most  of  the  merry-makings ;  but 
it  might  have  been  noticed,  had  any  one  been  so 
disposed,  that  he  always  went  wherever  Craik  did. 
If  Craik  stayed  at  home,  upon  the  "  Siren,"  Mr. 
Campion  was  not  far  away  upon  Cup  Island.  On 
no  occasion,  when  he  could  possibly  avoid  it,  did 
Mr.  Campion  allow  Craik  to  interview  any  of  the 
Cup  Island  ladies  alone,  and  he  was  constantly 
aided  in  this  good  work  by  Mrs.  Tillottson,  who 
used  all  of  her  woman's  tact  to  assist  him  in 
carrying  out  his  plans. 

She  was  often  of  great  service  to  him  in  thus 
closely  watching  Craik's  movements.  If  he  came 
to  Cup  Island,  and  Mr.  Campion  was  at  Oldport, 
she  had  a  signal  by  which  she  could  notify  him  of 
the  fact,  when  he  would  immediately  take  his  boat 
and  row  over.  If,  when  the  men  were  going  on  a 
fishing  excursion,  Craik,  at  the  last  moment,  de- 
cided to  stay  at  home,  Mrs.  Tillottson  would  plan 
some  excuse  for  Mr.  Campion  to  remain  also. 
Thus  matters  went  along  for  a  week  or  so.  The 
lawyer  had  taken  the  first  opportunity  which 
offered  to  compare  Craik  with  the  picture  he  car- 
ried in  his  pocket ;  he  had  also  noticed  the  de- 
formity of  the  little  finger,  and  was  now  thoroughly 
convinced  that  he  was  no  other  than  Bolan,  or 
Gentleman  Jim.  As  soon  as  he  was  satisfied  about 
this,  he  had  written  to  Ferris  telling  him  all  of  the 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.        26l 

particulars,  and  advising  him  not  to  hurry  Craik's 
arrest,  but  to  capture,  if  possible,  all  of  the  gang 
he  could  discover,  and  informing  him  that  it  was 
Van  Dusen's  intention  to  stay  in  the  vicinity  of 
Oldport  for  several  weeks.  It  was  a  great  relief 
to  Belle  that  Mr.  Campion  kept  in  the  constant 
society  of  Craik,  for  Jack  was  often  away  upon 
soqie  excursion  with  the  gentlemen,  and  Craik 
tned  to  make  these  occasions  opportunities  for 
him  to  press  his  attentions  upon  her.  Mr.  Campion 
saw  all  of  this  planning  on  Craik's  part,  and,  aided 
by  Mrs.  Tillottson,  always  succeeded  in  foiling  his 
intentions.  Craik  was  puzzled  and  much  put  out. 
At  first  he  had  been  inclined  to  fancy  the  lawyer, 
whose  easy  manners,  jolly  stories  and  jokes  went 
far  to  relieve  what  seemed  to  him  a  slow,  monoto- 
nous life ;  but  as  he  found  his  efforts  to  throw  him- 
self into  the  good  graces  of  Miss  Tillottson  all 
cleverly  thwarted,  and  always  by  this  good-natured 
man,  he  began  to  suspect  him,  and  dislike  was 
soon  added  to  suspicion  in  his  estimate  of  the 
lawyer.  Why  should  he  always  be  in  the  way  ? 
He  was  too  old  to  be  considered  much  of  a  rival, 
but  he  was  nevertheless  an  intolerable  nuisance. 
If  he  could  only  get  this  Campion  interested  in 
the  Van  Twists,  he  would  then  have  a  better  chance 
with  the  girls.  He  would  try.  Perhaps  Mrs.  Van 
Twist  would  bite  at  the  bait  if  he  could  but  think 
of  some  way  to  get  her  to  do  it.  Campion  was  a 


262       A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

very  wealthy  man.  He  would  tell  Mrs.  Van  Twist 
this,  and  hint  that  he  had  noticed  that  Campion 
greatly  admired  her  daughter  Alice.  That  might 
do  it.  Campion  was  a  widower,  and  the  Van  Twists 
would  probably  jump  at  the  chance  of  having  a 
man  of  his  wealth  and  reputation  for  a  son-in-law. 
They  would  invite  him  over  to  Smoke  Island  and 
treat  him  so  nicely  that  he  would  probably  spend  a 
good  part  of  his  time  there ;  this  would  leave  him 
a  chance  to  see  more  of  Miss  Tillottson  alone. 

But  this  plot  of  Craik's  was  not  a  success.  Mrs. 
Van  Twist  was  very  cordial  with  the  lawyer,  and 
did,  indeed,  press  him  to  come  to  Smoke  Island 
often,  even  going  so  far  as  to  plot  for  the  accom- 
plishment of  her  designs ;  but  Mr.  Campion  did 
not  in  the  least  relax  his  vigilance  over  the  two 
girls :  wherever  they  went,  if  Craik  was  on  hand, 
he  went  also,  unless  Jack  and  Tom  accompanied 
them. 

Jack  had  taken  the  first  opportunity  to  inform 
Mrs.  Tillottson  of  his  love  for  her  daughter,  and 
she  had  willingly  given  her  consent,  for  she  was 
not  taken  by  surprise ;  her  mother's  watchful  eye 
had  long  since  noticed  Jack's  partiality  for  her 
daughter,  and,  besides,  she  had  formed  a  strong 
friendship  for  Jack.  He  was  her  boy's  best  friend. 
Indeed,  to  her  it  seemed  a  fortunate  event  that  one 
so  well  beloved  by  them  all  as  Jack  should  offer 
himself.  Besides,  she  had  a  dread  of  Mr.  Craik ; 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.       26$ 

not  that  she  was  afraid  that  Belle  was  in  danger 
of  being  influenced  by  Craik,  still  he  was  so  per- 
sistent in  his  attentions  that  she  feared  him.  She 
also  felt  that,  as  the  affianced  wife  of  Mr.  Stratton, 
her  daughter  was  safer  from  such  a  villain ;  for, 
thanks  to  Mr.  Campion,  such  she  now  knew  Craik 
to  be. 

Tarn  was  let  into  the  secret  of  the  engagement, 
Belle  confided  it  to  Nettie,  and  naturally  Mrs. 
Tillottson  informed  Mr.  Campion,  for  she  felt  that 
it  might  be  unfair  or  unwise  to  keep  him  in  igno- 
rance, particularly  when  he  had  taken  her  so  fully 
into  his  confidence.  Between  Tom  and  Nettie, 
therefore,  the  subject  of  the  engagement  became  a 
matter  of  frequent  discussion.  Tom  was  delighted 
that  his  sister  had  fallen  into  such  good  hands, 
and  was  profuse  in  his  praises  to  Nettie.  Nettie, 
too,  was  pleased  that  Belle  had  found  so  much 
happiness,  and  her  pleasure  increased  as  she 
learned  from  Tom  Jack's  true  character.  Natu- 
rally these  confidences  brought  them  into  a  closer 
and  more  friendly  intimacy.  It  became  a  matter 
of  custom  or  habit  with  Tom  to  consult  Nettie 
about  the  little  questions  which  were  constantly 
cropping  up  in  their  rustic  life.  If  there  was  a 
doubt  about  the  wisdom  of  doing  this  thing  or 
that,  on  their  daily  expeditions  by  boat  or  land, 
Tom  and  Nettie  were  sure  to  have  their  heads 
close  together  in  friendly  exchange  of  opinions. 


264       A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

It  was  readily  seen  what  this  was  leading  to, 
and  our  wise  reader  has,  no  doubt,  already  inferred 
that  Tom  and  Nettie  were  to  make  a  match ;  and 
so  it  was  in  fact ;  but  they  were  doing  it  as  thou- 
sands of  the  most  felicitous  matches  are  made 
nowadays  in  America.  Unconsciously  and  in  an 
innocent  spirit,  as  free  from  guile  as  the  wooing 
of  a  pair  of  turtle-doves,  they  were  deeply  in  love. 
The  genuineness  of  their  love  made  their  court- 
ship instinctive.  There  were  no  formal  passes  of 
etiquette  between  these  two  natures.  We  might 
almost  truly  say  that  they  became  affianced  by 
slips  of  the  tongue,  prompted  by  the  natural  action 
of  their  loving  hearts.  Neither  was  there  any 
secrecy  in  their  wooing ;  it  was  as  evident  to  out- 
siders as  is  the  love-song  of  a  canary.  Of  course, 
there  were  a  thousand  little  love-passages  between 
them  which  were  unnoticed  by  the  outside  world, 
but  there  was  no  effort  to  conceal  even  these,  in 
fact  the  lovers  were  in  a  measure  unconscious  that 
they  were  happening.  Tom's  first  question  on  his 
return  from  a  fishing-trip  was,  "  Where  is  Nettie  ?" 
and  Nettie's  first  look  in  the  morning,  and  last  at 
night,  were  for  Tom.  They  had  long  since  ad- 
dressed each  other  as  Tom  and  Nettie,  and  it 
seemed  to  be  understood  by  all  except,  perhaps, 
themselves,  that  they  were  lovers. 

The  preparations  for  the  party  upon  Smoke 
Island  had  all  been  made,  and  at  the  appointed 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.       26$ 

time  the  guests  were  assembled  at  three  hand- 
somely-decorated tables,  which  were  placed  in  the 
shade  of  the  Van  Twist  cottage.  It  was  about  six 
o'clock  when  they  sat  down  to  enjoy  the  dainties 
which  the  ingenuity  and  skill  of  the  ladies  had 
prepared.  Mr.  Campion  was  as  usual  in  high 
spirits,  as  was  also  Jack.  Mr.  Van  Dusen  was 
delighted,  and  all  seemed  to  really  enjoy  the  fes- 
tivity save  Craik,  who,  deprived  of  a  seat  by  Belle, 
made  no  effort  to  entertain  his  next  neighbor,  who 
happened  to  be  Mrs.  Van  Twist.  Mr.  Kendall, 
aware  that  the  bright  eyes  of  Alice  Van  Twist 
were  upon  him,  outshone  himself  in  gallantry  and 
good-nature,  while  the  professor  chatted  with  Mrs. 
Tillottson  in  a  most  social  manner,  each  moment 
discovering  in  her  new  beauties  of  mind  and  soul. 
Bid  was  brought  into  requisition  to  assist  the  Van 
Twist  domestics  in  waiting  upon  the  tables,  and 
the  ladies  were  well  satisfied  to  see  everything 
run  so  smoothly. 

Of  course,  Tom  and  Nettie  sat  together,  he  in- 
dulging in  the  usual  jokes  with  which  lovers 
delight  to  entertain  the  objects  of  their  devotion. 

Jack,  as  usual,  was  brimming  over  with  fun ;  he 
made  temporary  visits  to  the  different  tables,  con- 
vulsing the  guests  with  laughter  wherever  he  went. 

They  lingered  for  two  hours  over  the  repast; 
the  gentlemen  finally  lighting  their  cigars,  after 
which  they  all  adjourned  to  the  shore  to  hear  the 
M  23 


266       A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

vocal  quartette,  which  was  creditably  performed 
by  our  four  young  people  from  Cup  Island.  They 
embarked  in  one  of  the  small  boats,  and,  rowing 
out  on  the  still  waters,  now  just  beginning  to  be 
lighted  up  by  the  new  moon,  sang  "  Sweet  and 
Low"  so  admirably  that  they  received  a  hearty 
encore  from  the  audience  upon  the  beach.  Jack 
then  sang  a  merry  air  to  a  banjo  accompaniment ; 
Miss  Van  Twist  displayed  some  taste  and  a  fair 
voice  by  singing  a  very  sweet  solo,  after  which 
the  whole  party  went  over  to  Cup  Island  to  hear 
the  addresses. 

Jack  was  fully  equal  to  the  occasion.  He 
mounted  a  chair,  and  amused  the  guests  for  at 
least  a  half-hour.  Occasional  interruptions  by 
Aunt  Deborah  added  zest  to  the  amusement,  and 
were  enjoyed  by  Jack  as  much  as  the  others. 

He  began  his  speech  by  assuming  the  role  of  a 
stump-speaker  on  politics. 

"  Why  is  it,"  said  he,  after  the  usual  introductory 
remarks,  "  that  our  glorious  country  can  hold  her 
head  higher  than  the  proudest  nations  of  the 
world  ?  Why  is  it  every  native-born  American 
citizen  can  sit  around  his  hearthstone  or  can 
milk  his  cow  in  peaceful  confidence  fearing  no 
interruption  ?" 

"  No  more  can  he  allus,"  said  Aunt  Deborah ; 
"  fur  some  cows  kick  like  fury,  an'  a  pail  o'  milk  is 
no  heavier  to  them  than  a — than  a " 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.       26/ 

"  Than  a  foot-ball  to  a  Yale  student,"  interrupted 
Jack.  "  I  referred  though,  more  particularly,  to 
foreign  interruptions."  Jack  was  delighted  that 
Aunt  Deborah  showed  a  disposition  to  be  merry, 
as  it  gave  him  time  to  think. 

"  Now  here  are  the  women  of  the  country,"  he 
continued,  changing  his  tactics,  "  trying  to  smuggle 
themselves  into  politics,  and  to  control  the  destiny 
of  this  glorious  republic.  Why  is  it?" — here  he 
looked  hard  at  Aunt  Deb. — "Why  are  they  so 
anxious  to  deprive  the  weaker  masculine  element 
of  its  acquired  rights  ?" 

"Whew!  guess  you're  a  little  mixed  about  that, 
Mr.  Speaker,"  said  Aunt  Deb ;  "  fur  in  all  my  life- 
long experience  I  never  saw  a  woman  try  to  vote. 
Why,  they'd  be  skeered  to  death  at  meetin'  a  lot  o' 
men  folks  at  the  polls." 

"  It  is  conceded,"  continued  Jack,  very  seriously, 
"  that  the  proper  sphere  for  woman  is  the  mission- 
ary field ;  they  are  our  natural  teachers,  and  it  is  a 
matter  of  profound  congratulation  that  so  many 
noble-hearted  maidens  are  enlisting  in  this  com- 
mendable service." 

"  Well,  well,"  said  Aunt  Deb ;  "  'xcuse  me,  but 
I  must  put  in  a  word  right  here.  Missionary 
service  may  be  a  very  good  thing  for  them  as 
can't  get  a  bite  o'  bread  or  a  roof  to  cover  their 
heads  in  their  own  country;  but,  deary  me,  to 
think  of  a  respectably  raised  female  leavin'  her 


268       A    SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

own  kith  an'  kin  an'  rushin'  off  to  Afriky  or 
Chiny,  is  'nough  to  make  one  ashamed  of  her  own 
sex.  Why,  there  was  Mandy  Jinks  of  our  town ; 
she  took  the  missionary  fever  bad  a  few  years  ago, 
when  one  o'  them  slick  an'  slippery  talkers  was 
there,  an'  the  very  next  year  she  toted  off  to  the 
East  Indies.  We  ladies  of  the  church  helped  fit 
her  out  nice,  I  tell  you,  leastwise  what  we  could 
do  by  sewin',  an'  she  went  off  as  proud  as  a  young 
kitten  with  a  dead  mouse ;  but  bless  ye,  she  hadn't 
ben  gone  over  a  year  when  we  began  to  get  the 
pitifulest  letters  from  her  beggin'  to  come  home, 
an',  the  next  thing,  home  she  came,  an'  a  shabby- 
lookin'  mortal  she  was.  Deliver  me  from  mis- 
sionary service ;  but  I'm  afeered  I'm  a-interruptin' 
of  ye,  Mr.  Stratton." 

Jack  continued  his  speech,  causing  much  amuse- 
ment, and,  after  he  had  finished,  Mr.  Campion  was 
asked  to  make  a  short  address.  This  he  did  very 
gracefully  and  cordially.  He  thanked  the  ladies 
for  the  delightful  manner  in  which  they  had  made 
time  pleasant  for  them  all,  and  as  Aunt  Deborah 
expressed  it  afterwards,  "  He  was  jest  the  slickest 
speechifier"  she  ever  heard. 

One  morning,  some  weeks  after  this  occurrence, 
Nettie  was  pressing  mosses  out  in  the  summer- 
house  upon  Bogus  Island,  where  Tom  had  rigged 
up  for  her  a  crude  but  effective  press,  consisting 
of  two  heavy  pine  boards  and  a  large  flat  stone, 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.       269 

which  he  always  adjusted  upon  them  for  her  when 
she  had  any  mosses  to  press. 

This  time,  however,  she  was  alone;  she  had 
placed  her  mosses  between  the  leaves  of  an  old 
book,  and  not  seeing  Tom,  who  had  not  returned 
from  a  trip  to  Oldport,  she  attempted  to  lift  the 
stone  upon  the  boards  herself;  it  was  while  she 
wagjn  the  act  of  doing  this  that  Tom  entered  the 
summer-house  and  hastened  to  her  assistance ;  but 
before  he  had  reached  her  the  rock  in  some  manner 
slipped,  falling  heavily  against  her  foot.  She  gave 
a  little  cry  of  distress,  and  hearing  his  approach 
attempted  to  rise  to  her  feet,  but  the  agony  which 
she  experienced  from  the  bruised  foot  was  too 
much  for  her,  and  she  would  have  fallen  to  the 
floor  had  not  Tom  sprang  forward  and  caught  her 
in  his  arms.  The  injury  to  her  foot  was  not  at  all 
serious,  and  the  pain  was  but  momentary,  so  that 
she  was  quickly  herself  again,  and  in  a  laughing 
tone  said,  "  What  a  goose  I  was,  Tom,  to  attempt 
to  lift  that  heavy  stone.  There,  thank  you,  I  am 
all  right  now,"  then  glancing  up  into  his  face,  for 
his  strong  arms  were  still  about  her,  she  saw  tears 
of  true  sympathy  glittering  in  his  eyes.  Tom 
could  not  reply;  his  heart  was  overflowing  with 
affection  for  her,  and  the  expression  of  love  and 
sympathy  which  she  saw  in  his  handsome  eyes 
could  not  be  mistaken.  She  hid  her  face  in  his 
breast.  Not  a  word  was  spoken.  There  they 

23* 


270       A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

stood,  these  nature's  children,  heart  throbbing 
against  heart,  affianced  by  a  hand  mightier  than 
man's ;  and  when  at  last  Tom  said,  gently  stroking 
her  soft  black  hair,  "  Nettie,  my  darling,"  she  drew 
even  closer  to  him  and  whispered,  "  Don't  talk, 
Tom,  dear." 

Let  us  no  longer  intrude  upon  the  sacredness 
of  such  a  scene.  Words  are  powerless  to  describe 
the  beauties  of  such  innocent  affection;  they 
convey  but  a  faint  idea,  and  generally  an  imperfect 
and  misleading  one. 

An  author  whom  we  all  have  learned  to  love 
has  said, — 

"  I  have  made  a  book  or  two  in  my  time,  and  I 
am  making  another  that  perhaps  will  see  the  light 
one  of  these  days.  But,  if  I  had  my  life  to  live 
over  again,  I  think  I  should  go  in  for  silence,  and 
get  as  near  to  Nirvana  as  I  could.  This  language 
is  such  a  paltry  tool.  The  handle  of  it  cuts,  and 
the  blade  doesn't.  You  muddle  yourself  by  not 
knowing  what  you  mean  by  a  word,  and  send  out 
your  unanswered  riddles  and  rebuses  to  clear  up 
other  people's  difficulties.  It  always  seems  to  me 
that  talk  is  a  ripple,  and  thought  a  ground  swell. 
A  string  of  words  that  mean  pretty  much  any- 
thing helps  you  in  a  certain  sense  to  get  hold  of 
a  thought,  just  as  a  string  of  syllables  that  mean 
nothing  helps  you  to  a  word;  but  it  is  a  poor 
business,  it's  a  poor  business,  and  the  more  you 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

study  definition  the  more  you  find  out  how  poor 
it  is." 

So  instead  of  dwelling  upon  the  ecstatic  bliss 
radiating  between  those  two  loving  souls,  we  will 
leave  them  to  the  tender  mercies  of  our  gentle 
readers,  knowing  that  a  clearer  conception  of  their 
heavenly  condition  will  be  reached  by  them  in 
dreaming  over  the  resources  and  experiences  of 
their  own  diverse  natures ;  in  some,  sweet  visions 
of  the  past,  in  others,  delights  of  the  present,  and 
in  still  others,  ideal  capacities  which  anticipate 
future  fulfilments. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Night  on  Oldport  Harbor — A  Desperate  Struggle  and  a  Capture 
— Mr.  Campion  utilizes  his  Muscle — Mr.  Van  Dusen  Indig- 
nant— An  Explanation — Ferris  Happy — Cup  Island  becomes 
deserted. 

IT  was  night.  All  was  darkness  upon  Oldport 
Harbor.  Even  the  stars  were  hidden  behind  a 
veil  of  sombre-looking  clouds;  and  as  the  eye 
tried  to  penetrate  the  distance  in  the  direction  of 
Cup  Island,  it  was  met  by  a  black  wall  of  pitchy 
gloom,  through  which  nothing  could  be  seen. 
One  solitary  light  was  visible  upon  the  Harbor; 
this  sent  its  feeble  ray  from  the  little  lantern 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

which  hung  upon  the  "Siren."  It  was  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  Sandy's  cottage  looked 
dark  and  uninviting,  the  outside  blinds  were 
tightly  closed  for  the  night.  But  all  was  not 
darkness  inside.  Let  us  look  in.  There  are  five 
men  sitting  in  the  little  front  room.  We  recog- 
nize Mr.  Sandy,  the  tall  dignified  form  of  Mr. 
Campion,  and  Ferris,  the  Chicago  detective.  The 
other  two  are  unknown  to  us.  They  are  employed 
by  Ferris.  After  a  short  consultation,  four  of 
these  five  men  leave  the  Sandy  cottage,  and,  led  by 
Mr.  Campion,  make  their  way  through  the  dark- 
ness to  the  wharf,  where  they  silently  embark  in  a 
row-boat,  and  as  quietly  pull  in  the  direction  of 
the  little  beacon  which  seems  to  beckon  them  to 
the  "Siren."  Van  Dusen  and  his  guests  are  all 
sound  asleep  upon  the  yacht,  the  watch  upon 
deck  only  being  partly  conscious  of  time  and 
worldly  affairs,  as  the  little  boat  draws  gently 
alongside. 

"  Who's  there  ?"  said  the  sailor,  quickly,  in 
alarm  at  such  an  unusual  occurrence. 

"  Hush,"  said  Ferris,  springing  upon  the  deck ; 
"  we  are  officers  of  the  law,"  then  in  a  louder  voice 
he  told  the  sailor  to  call  Van  Dusen  up. 

"  Stand  there  at  the  head  of  the  companion- 
way,"  he  said  to  his  deputies,  "and  arrest  any 
one  who  tries  to  pass." 

Then  he  went  below  himself,  and  waited  near 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


273 


the  entrance  of  the  little  cabin  for  Van  Dusen  to 
appear. 

"  What  is  all  this  disturbance  ?"  said  Van 
Dusen,  coming  quickly  into  the  cabin. 

"  I  am  here  to  arrest  a  man  named  Craik,"  said 
Mr.  Ferris. 

"Arrest  Craik  !"  said  Van  Dusen,  surprised  and 
angry ;  "  no,  sir,  Mr.  Craik  is  my  guest,  and  I  will 
not  allow  him  to  be  disturbed.  Mr.  Craik  is  an 
Englishman  and  under  my  protection.  What  is 
the  charge  against  him  ?" 

The  unusual  noise  had  by  this  time  aroused  the 
three  guests  of  Van  Dusen,  who  came  quickly 
into  the  little  cabin,  Craik  wholly  dressed,  and 
with  a  look  of  fierce  determination  upon  his  face. 

"What  is  it,  Van  Dusen?"  he  said,  as  he  came 
forward.  "  Did  I  not  hear  my  name  called  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Ferris,  stepping  up  to  him ;  "  I 
arrest  you  in  the  name  of  the  law." 

"  Stand  back,"  said  Craik,  fiercely,  at  the  same 
time  drawing  and  cocking  a  pistol,  and  retreating 
toward  the  companion-way,  up  which  he  then  ran. 
quickly. 

"  It  is  no  use,"  said  Ferris,  coolly ;  "  he  will  be 
stopped  on  deck  by  my  men.  He  is  a  rascal,  and 
although  I  am  very  sorry  to  disturb  you  and  your 
guests,  Mr.  Van  Dusen,  he  must  go  with  me  to- 
night." 

Craik  had  hardly  appeared  upon  the  deck,  when 


2/4 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


he  was  seized  on  both  sides  by  the  two  deputies ; 
he  shook  them  desperately  off,  however,  and  dis- 
charged his  pistol,  wounding  one  of  the  men  in 
the  arm ;  he  then  rushed  quickly  to  the  forward 
end  of  the  deck,  probably  with  the  intention  of 
jumping  overboard,  but  here  he  was  met  by  Mr. 
Campion,  who,  seizing  him  by  the  pistol  arm,  held 
him  as  in  a  vise.  There  was  a  short  struggle, 
but  Craik  was  no  match  for  the  giant  strength  of 
the  lawyer,  who  soon  threw  him  flat  upon  his  back, 
where  he  firmly  held  him  until  assistance  came. 

"  Put  the  bangles  on  him,"  said  Ferris,  who  had 
now  appeared  upon  the  deck  followed  by  the 
others  ;  "  he  is  a  desperate  villain." 

Van  Dusen  was  about  to  protest  again  when  he 
saw  Mr.  Campion. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Campion,  my^  dear  sir,  what  does  all 
this  mean  ?"  he  said,  excitedly. 

"  It  means,"  said  Mr.  Campion,  "  that  you  and  I 
have  been  harboring  and  associating  with  one  of 
the  blackest  villains  that  ever  breathed  air  foreign 
to  a  penitentiary.  You  have  had  a  narrow  escape, 
sir,  from  I  know  not  what  perfidy.  This  wretch, 
under  the  guise  of  friendship,  was  deliberately 
plotting  to  rob  you,  as  he  has  frequently  robbed 
others.  He  will  be  tried  for  burglaries  in  New 
Jersey  and  London,  England,  for  forgery  in  Paris, 
for  murder  in  Italy,  and  other  offences  too  nu- 
merous to  mention." 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


2/5 


Here  Craik,  made  desperate  again  by  the  lawyer's 
words,  sprang  toward  him  with  uplifted  hands, 
but  was  stopped  by  the  deputy  detectives ;  break- 
ing away  from  them,  however,  he  sprang  toward 
the  side  of  the  yacht,  evidently  meaning  to  jump 
overboard,  but  Ferris  dexterously  tripped  him  up, 
and  he  was  again  secured. 

Explanations  followed,  and  Van  Dusen  grate- 
fully thanked  Campion,  and  apologized  to  Ferris, 
who  then  ordered  Craik  put  into  the  boat.  He 
was  then  taken  away;  all  was  quiet  again,  and 
after  talking  the  matter  over  for  awhile,  Van 
Dusen  and  his  guests  retired  for  the  night. 

This  adventure  happening  under  the  friendly 
cover  of  night,  no  one  heard,  no  one  saw,  and  no 
one  knew  of,  except  those  who  were  directly 
interested;  for  when  the  bright  purifying  rays  of 
the  morning  sun  began  to  illuminate  and  glorify 
the  scene  of  the  disturbance  and  its  beautiful  sur- 
roundings, there  was  no  visible  evidence  of  the 
night's  work,  or  that  so  foul  a  conspirator  against 
morality  and  good  living  had  been  annihilated 
and  swept  away.  . 

He  was  gone,  that  was  all ;  nobody  knew  why. 
Van  Dusen  had  enjoined  strict  secrecy  from  his 
men  and  his  guests ;  and  when  the  Van  Twists 
and  the  people  upon  Cup  Island  inquired  for 
Craik,  the  reply  was  that  he  had  gone  to  New 
York  and  would  probably  not  soon  return.  The 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

injury  which   the   sailor  received   upon  his   arm 
proved  to  be  but  a  flesh  wound,  and  not  serious. 

"  I  never  took  to  that  man  Craik,  or  Crick,  or 
whatever  his  name  was,"  said  Aunt  Deb  to  her 
sister,  when  told  that  he  had  left  Oldport.  "  He 
was  allus  a  lickin'  of  a  person  all  over,  and  a 
plasterin'  on  compliments,  just  as  a  snake  will 
lick  a  bird  afore  he  gobbles  him  down  whole. 
Sich  kind  o'  people  is  dangerous,  an'  I'm  glad  he 
likes  New  York  company  better'n  he  does  ours.  I 
shan't  miss  him  a  bit." 

Thus  Craik  passed  out  of  their  little  circle,  and 
was  not  seriously  missed  by  any  member  of  it. 

The  day  following  his  capture,  Mr.  Van  Dusen 
sailed  away  on  the  "  Siren"  with  his  friends ;  and  a 
few  days  later  Nettie,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Campion, 
at  her  uncle's  request,  left  for  home ;  and  it  was 
not  long  after  that  the  whole  party,  including  the 
Van  Twists,  were  on  their  way  home ;  Tom  and 
Jack  to  their  respective  duties  in  New  York, 
cheered  in  mind  and  heart  by  bright  and  loving 
prospects  for  the  future ;  Mrs.  Tillottson,  Belle, 
and  Aunt  Deborah  to  their  home  in  Massachu- 
setts, and  the  Van  Twists  to  Florida,  where  they 
owned  winter-quarters.  The  empty  cottages  were 
as  usual  left  to  the  care  of  Sandy,  and  Cup  Island 
once  more  resumed  its  appearance  of  peaceful 
seclusion. 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Ten  Years  elapse — Rome — Nettie  at  her  Villa — Aunt  Deborah 
writes  from  America — She  contemplates  Marriage — Bid's  last 
Venture — Alice  Van  Twist  a  Widow — Matrimony  in  the  Air. 

/,*"" 

THE  passage  of  ten  years  brings  many  changes. 
Steps  that  were  quick  and  vigorous  become  meas- 
ured and  deliberate;  hair  that  was  rich  with  the 
color  of  youth  becomes  gray  and  lifeless ;  loves 
that  were  ardent  with  the  fires  of  youthful  vitality 
are  mellowed  into  a  comfortable,  satisfied  routine 
of  domestic  felicity;  cities  rise  up  and  decline, 
and  nations  gain  ascendency  and  power,  or  lose 
prestige.  So  works  that  wizard  Time. 

It  is  March,  and  if  the  reader  will  accompany 
us  to  Rome,  we  will  demonstrate  how  little  ten 
years  have  accomplished  in  damaging  the  disposi- 
tions or  appearance  of  our  principal  characters. 

A  little  to  the  east  of  the  Quirinal,  and  over  by 
the  church  of  S.  Maria  Maggiore,  upon  a  beauti- 
fully shaded  knoll  near  the  road  which  connects 
with  the  Via  Tiburtina,  nestling  among  cypress- 
trees  and  shrubbery,  is  the  villa  which  was  for- 
merly owned  by  Roger  Dexter.  Beautiful  foun- 
tains send  their  spray  into  the  warm  Italian  air, 
ornamenting  picturesque  lawns  and  flowery  slopes. 

24 


278 


A  SUMMER  AY  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 


The  villa  is  alive  with  the  joyous  music  of  laughter 
and  conversation.  It  is  the  season  of  health,  and 
our  friends  Dr.  Tillottson  and  Nettie,  his  loving 
wife,  with  their  three  children,  having  spent  the 
winter  in  England,  are  now,  after  an  absence  of 
four  years,  once  more  enjoying  their  beautiful 
Roman  home.  They  will  make  but  a  brief  stay 
of  perhaps  three  months,  as  they  do  not  deem  it 
safe  to  brave  the  malaria  which  comes  after  July, 
and  has  been,  during  the  summer  months,  the 
curse  of  Rome  for  centuries. 

Let  us  ascend  the  broad  stone  steps  of  this 
miniature  palace  before  us,  and  as  we  do  so,  rest- 
ing for  a  moment  against  the  stately  pillars  of  the 
portico,  gaze  back  at  the  beautiful  Italian  land- 
scape. 

In  the  dim  northern  distance  are  the  hazy  out- 
lines of  the  Sabine  Mountains,  towering  Monte 
Gennaro  and  lower  Montecelli ;  nearer  we  see  the 
church  Sant'  Agnese,  with  charming  cypress  foli- 
age and  beautiful  art- works  in  the  foreground. 
We  are  indeed  in  Rome,  the  city  of  profound  an- 
tiquity. We  walk  reverentially  to  the  other  end 
of  the  portico  to  catch,  if  we  can,  a  glimpse  of  St. 
Peter's  dome,  and  as  we  hear  from  within  the 
American  clock  strike  the  hour  of  four,  we  enter 
the  house,  crossing  the  handsomely-paved  vesti- 
bule, and  look  into  the  dining-hall  beyond. 

The   faces   which   meet   us    here   are    familiar. 


A  SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

Seated  at  the  head  of  a  long  table  is  Tom  Tillott- 
son,  stouter  but  little  older  looking  than  when  we 
last  saw  him  upon  Cup  Island.  Nettie,  his  wife, 
sits  opposite,  and  seems  so  youthful  and  fresh 
that  we  can  with  difficulty  realize  the  passage  of 
so  much  time.  Mr.  Campion  sits  by  the  side  of 
his  good  wife,  whom  we  immediately  recognize  as 
Tom's  mother.  They  are  a  handsome  elderly 
c*buple,  giving  substantial  proof  to  the  theory  that 
matrimonial  felicities  smooth  out  the  wrinkles  of 
time  and  bring  health's  bloom  to  the  cheeks.  By 
her  mother's  side  is  Belle,  now  Mrs.  Stratton,  but 
the  chair  next  to  her  is  vacant ;  it  belongs  to  Jack. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  table  sit  a  few  invited 
guests,  among  whom  we  recognize  Moses  Wigand 
and  Professor  Romney.  At  another  table,  near  an 
open  window,  which  looks  out  upon  the  beautiful 
scene  we  have  just  described,  sit  five  rosy-cheeked, 
healthy-looking  children,  in  charge  of  a  motherly- 
looking  nurse. 

The  conversation  was  animated  and  full  of  joy- 
ful exclamations,  for  the  mail  from  America  had 
just  arrived,  and  this  was  always  a  cause  for  great 
rejoicing. 

"  Where  is  Jack  ?"  said  Mrs.  Campion ;  "  I  want 
him  to  hear  me  read  Aunt  Deborah's  letter." 

"  I  left  him  down  at  the  Borghese  gallery  on  the 
Corso  studying  Cupids,"  said  Belle,  laughing.  "  He 
will  be  here  soon ;  he  has  found  four  pictures  there 


28o       A   SUMMER  IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR. 

by  Albani,  called  '  The  Seasons/  which,  I  believe, 
have  completely  charmed  his  senses." 

Just  at  this  moment  Jack  entered ;  tall  as  ever, 
and  with  the  same  twinkle  of  fun  radiating  from 
the  corners  of  his  handsome  eyes. 

"  These  are  the  Cupids  which  have  so  completely 
charmed  my  senses,"  said  Jack,  with  a  loving  look 
at  his  wife,  and  pointing  at  two  of  the  five  children 
at  the  other  table. 

As  Jack  took  his  seat  with  the  rest,  Mrs.  Cam- 
pion began  to  read  Aunt  Deb's  letter : 

"  MY  DEAR  MARY, — Don't  you  think  it's  most 
time  you  folks  was  comin'  home?  I'm  awfully 
lonesome  here,  an'  it  don't  seem  natural-like  in 
this  strange  place.  Seems  to  me  two  long  years 
is  a  pretty  good  stretch  for  a  weddin'  trip.  I  go 
pokin'  about  the  house  a  tellin'  the  girls  what  to 
do,  and  what  not  to  do,  an'  try  to  pass  away  the 
time,  but  it  drags  dreadfully,  an'  it's  no  use,  I'm 
lonesome. 

"  I  s'pose  Josie  Campion  is  Josephine  Evans  by 
this  time,  judgin'  from  all  you  write  an'  what  I 
hear.  Well,  I  hope  they'll  be  happy,  an'  never 
know  what  it  is  to  want  good  bread  an*  sweet 
butter. 

"  There's  something  on  my  conscience  to  tell 
you,  sister,  but  somehow  it  is  pretty  hard  for  me 
to  get  at  it.  Of  course,  you  remember  Mr.  Sandy, 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLDPORT  HARBOR.       28l 

or  Samuel  Sandy  as  his  name  is,  and  of  course 
you  remember  how  he  lost  his  beloved  wife  some 
five  years  ago  when  we  was  there  a  summerin', 
an'  was  left  a  widower.  Well,  Mr.  Sandy  an'  me 
has  kind  o'  struck  up  a  match.  He  was  out  here 
to  see  me,  an'  asked  me  to  marry  him,  and  it  took 
more  courage  than  I  had  to  say  no. 

"-He  said  he  took  to  me  immense  after  his  wife 
died,  an'  he  tho't  I  would  make  him  a  useful 
wife  an'  good  companion.  I  allus  liked  Sam 
Sandy ;  there  was  nothin'  lazy  about  him ;  he  was 
allus  smart  as  a  whip.  Well,  to  make  a  long  story 
short,  I  told  him  I  was  a  poor,  good-for-nothin' 
old  maid,  and  had  'the  rumatiz  fearful,  but  if  he 
liked  me,  an'  tho't  I  could  make  his  life  any  happier, 
I'd  have  him. 

"  Sam  wanted  to  have  the  knot  tied  right  away, 
but  I  sent  him  home  and  told  him  I'd  not  get 
married  anyway  'till  you  came  back  to  Ameriky. 
So  you  see  Mary,  after  all  these  years  of  pashent 
waitin'  I  am  to  get  my  reward.  I  hope  he  won't 
make  me  postmaster  of  Oldport,  for  I  never  was 
quick  at  readin'  and  writin',  an',  besides,  I  should 
be  dyin'  to  read  all  the  letters  an'  postal  cards.  I 
don't  mind  tendin'  store,  though,  occasionally,  for 
you  can  get  to  see  folks  that  way  without  goin'  to 
call  on  'em. 

"Tell  Augustus  that  Sniffin,  his  head  man,  is 
engaged  to  marry  Eleanor  Bangs.  Everybody  is 

24* 


282       A    SUMMER   IN   OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 

gettin'  married,  an'  I*  tho't  it  a  good  time  to  try  it 
on  myself. 

"Sam  said  that  the  Van  Twists  were  on  Smoke 
Island  last  summer.  The  daughter,  Mrs.  Kendall, 
who  married  that  preacher,  you  know,  is  a  widder. 
Sam  says  that  Mr.  Kendall  worked  himself  to 
death  in  New  York,  a  lookin'  after  poor  folks, 
startin'  up  missions  and  revivals,  and  such,  an' 
that  Mrs.  Kendall  was  as  crazy  about  it  as  he  was. 
She  has  a  little  boy,  an'  Sam  says  he  looks  like 
the  major.  I  s'pose  it's  all  right  for  a  preacher  to 
do  just  as  Mr.  Kendall  did,  but  for  my  part  I 
never  could  chime  in  among  them  dirty  folks  we 
saw  when  we  was  in  New  York,  an'  talk  natural- 
like  to  them.  I  should  allus  be  thinkin'  I  was 
gettin'  something  on  me,  or  a  ketchin'  some  fever. 
Sam  said  the  major  looked  old,  an'  I  told  Sam  I 
tho't  any  man  would  look  old  if  he  was  henpecked 
as  that  poor  major  was  by  that  Van  Twist  woman. 
You  see,  I  wanted  Sam  Sandy  to  destinctly  under- 
stand that  if  I  was  an  old  maid  there  was  no 
danger  of  his  bein'  henpecked  an'  hocus-pocussed 
as  that  poor  old  Major  Van  Twist  was. 

"  Tell  Augustus  that  I  am  tired  of  York  State ; 
and  as  soon  as  you  both  get  back  I'm  off  for  old 
Massachusetts,  for  I'm  goin'  to  be  married  from 
the  old  home  at  W . 

"  Sandy  isn't  a  very  stylish  name,  but  it's  better 
than  Muddy,  an'  I'm  goin'  to  try  it  anyhow.  Deb- 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR.       283 

orah  Tremane  Sandy  don't  sound  bad  enough  to 
skeer  anybody.     Come  home  as  soon  as  you  can, 
and  give  my  love  to  all,  babies  and  everybody. 
"  Your  affectionate  sister, 

"  DEBORAH  TREMANE." 

"  Well,  well,"  said  Jack,  after  the  amusement 
c/eated  by  Aunt  Deb's  letter  had  somewhat  sub- 
sided, "  this  will  make  Sandy  our  Uncle  Sam. 
Quite  appropriate  for  a  postmaster;  but  how  is  it, 
Governor," — Jack  had  always  addressed  Mr.  Cam- 
pion by  that  title,  since  he  had  married  Mrs.  Cam- 
pion,— "  how  is  it  about  Josephine  and  Bob  Evans  ? 
I  knew  that  Bob  was  awfully  gone  in  that  direction 
and  thought  a  great  deal  of  Josie,  but  I  had  no 
idea  they  would  make  a  match  of  it." 

Mr.  Campion,  who,  like  the  others,  had  been 
looking  over  his  mail,  glanced  up  with  a  roguish 
smile  and  quietly  remarked,  "  I  always  fancied 
Bob.  He  is  a  whole-souled,  industrious  sort  of  a 
Bohemian,  and  will  make  Jo  a  good  husband ;  and 
I  always  gave  her  credit  for  taking  care  of  herself; 
but  it  seems  she,  like  all  other  frail  women," — a  sly 
glance  at  Mrs.  Campion, — "  must  have  a  protector. 
There's  sister  Deborah  now ;  for  years  and  years 
she  has  paddled  her  own  canoe,  and  now  at  last 
she  bows  to  the  inevitable  and  links  her  fortunes 
with  an  Oldporter." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  to  think  of  Deb- 


284 


A   SUMMER  IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


orah,"  said  Mrs.  Campion,  looking  strangely 
puzzled. 

"  As  Aunt  Deb  says,  there's  matrimony  in  the 
air,"  said  Tom,  laughing ;  "  there's  Sniffin  and 
Eleanor  Bangs,  too, — wonders  never  cease." 

At  this  moment,  when  they  were  all  full  of  that 
kindly  feeling  which  is  always  begotten  by  the 
announcement  of  happy  engagements,  another  old 
acquaintance  quietly  enters  the  room  with  an  open 
letter  in  her  hand ;  stepping  up  close  to  Mrs.  Cam- 
pion she  says,  in  a  whisper  which  is  audible  all 
over  the  room, — 

"  Shure  ma'am,  an'  it's  a  hard  duty  oi  have  to 
tell  ye.  Oi  must  lave  your  sarvice  intirely." 

"  Why,  Bid,"  said  Mrs.  Campion,  in  great  sur- 
prise at  such  a  piece  of  news,  "  what  is  the 
matter  ?" 

"Well,  ma'am,  ye  see  oi've  jist  been  afther 
havin'  a  lether  from  me  coozin  in  Oireland,  an' 
shure  it's  him  oi'm  goin'  to  marry  so  long,  an' 
now  he  writes  that  his  poor  father  is  dead  an'  lift 
him  his  property ;  an'  Tim,  that's  his  name,  God 
bless  him,  says  oi  must  come  roight  home,  for  he 
has  divil  a  soul,  poor  man,  to  boil  a  potato  for 
him,  or  look  after  his  bedmakin'  and  the  loikes  o' 
that." 

"Another  county  heard  from,"  shouted  Jack. 
"  Bid,  I  congratulate  you.  May  you  live  long 
and  prosper,  and  may  Mr.  Tim's  hearthstone 


A   SUMMER   IN  OLD  PORT  HARBOR. 


285 


never  grow  cold  for  the  want  of  a  stick,  or  a 
youngster  to  add  it  to  the  fire." 

"  Oh,  la,  Misther  Jack,"  said  Bid ;  "  shure  it's 
pate  we  burn  in  ould  Oireland  and  not  sticks,  an' 
it's  the  loikes  of  you  wid  childer  of  your  own 
would  not  begrudge  a  bairn  or  two  to  a  poor  old 
Oirish  woman." 

I.t  was  evident  that  Bid  was  happy  as  she  re- 
tired amid  the  congratulations  and  good  wishes 
which  were  showered  upon  her. 

The  people  at  the  table  were  all  happy,  and, 
glad  to  see  them  thus,  we  quietly  withdraw,  trust- 
ing that  Fate  will  deal  gently  with  them  in  this 
foreign  land. 


THE   END. 


.. 


, 


A  jfr 


